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UNITED STATES OF AMEEIGA. 



ONE HUNDRED 



VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 



TO 



SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 



A COMPILATION OF IMPORTANT FACTS RELATING TO 
EVERY BRANCH OF THE STUDY AND PRAC- 
TICE OF SHORTHAND WRITING. 



SPECIALLY ARRANGED FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND 
YOUNG REPORTERS OF ALL SYSTEMS. 



BY 

SELBY A. MORAN, 

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, 

PRINCIPAL OF THE STENOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE, 
ANN ARBOR. , r 

JUN 8 1886 



.^> * 4/ 



ANN ARBOR. MICHIGAN : >s£Op 
PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. 

1886. 



COPYRIGHT, 1886, 

By SELBY A. MORAN. 






*v 



ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 



ANN ARBOR RE618TER PUBUSHIKG HOUSE. 



PREFACE. 



It may seem presumptuous on the part of the author to 
place before the public a work of this kind when there are 
so many others whose more varied experience far better 
fits them for such an undertaking. 

Feeling, however, that others who have written works 
relating to Shorthand have almost wholly neglected to ren- 
der to the student and young reporter the special help 
which this little volume is intended to give, and believ- 
ing that there is a real demand for a work of this kind, the 
author makes no further apology for its appearance. 

The aim of this work is to render assistance to students 
of all systems of Shorthand by a series of suggestions 
concerning important facts, only a few of which have ever 
found a place in any text-book, yet facts which every student 
should keep constantly in mind. As such, it is believed 
that it will prove especially serviceable to that large class 
of students who are undergoing a course of self-instruc- 
tion. Since that which has been written heretofore, in the 
same line of the present work, has been confined almost 
wholly to court and newspaper reporting, more attention is 
given to amanuensis reporting, a new branch of the pro- 
fession which has, of late years, far outstripped all the 
others, both in its numbers and its requirements. 

Simplicity of expression has been kept constantly in 
view that the book may be used by the student for general 
dictation work as soon as all the principles are learned. 



PREFACE. 

It is hoped that, in this way, it will serve a double purpose, 
not only giving the student many valuable hints in regard 
to his study and practice, but also furnishing suitable 
material for speed work and, in this way, fixing more 
firmly in his mind facts which every Shorthand student 
should know. 

That the contents of this little volume may assist that 
large number of young men and women who are determ- 
ined to win success in the practice of this beautiful art, is 
earnestly hoped. 

To the many kind friends who have so freely placed at 
his disposal the valuable lessons learned in their long ex- 
perience as reporters, and especially to that one who, by 
constant encouragement, has proven an inspiring genius, 
not only in this, but also in other and more difficult under- 
takings, this work is respectfully inscribed by 

The Author. 
Stenographic Institute, \ 

Ann Arbor, Mich., Mar., 1886. J 



INTRODUCTION. 



Shorthand is a beautiful theory and a practical art as 
well. To acquire a knowledge of the theory is one thing, 
to put this theory into practice is another. 

The text-books on the various systems of Shorthand 
writing have given a general explanation of the principles 
of these systems, but have omitted many important facts 
relative to .learning the art, and are almost entirely silent 
upon the practical application of Shorthand. In present- 
ing these facts which are intended to cover this neglected 
part of the student's work, it has been thought best to 
arrange them in the following order: 

I. Suggestions for students before beginning the study. 
I— XVII. 

II. Suggestions for students while pursuing the study. 
XVIII -XL V. 

III. Suggestions concerning the necessity of learning to 

read Shorthand. 

XLVI— L, 

IV. Suggestions relative to increasing speed. 

LI— LIX. 

V. Suggestions for the Amanuensis. 
LX— LXXIL 
VI. Suggestions for Court, Newspaper, Convention, and 
Speech reporters. 

LXXIII-LXXXIII. 



INTRODUCTION. 

VII. General Suggestions for all Reporters. 

LXXXIV— C. 

The student who will give a little careful attention to 
the suggestions coming under the first heading, may be 
assured that his chances of success in learning the art will 
be much greater than though he were left to depend entirely 
upon his own resources. 

During the course of his study he will receive much real 
help from the suggestions under the second, third, and 
fourth headings. By applying them in practice to those 
points to which they refer, the study will prove much more 
interesting and far better results will be obtained. 

Under the heading for Amanuensis Reporters the student 
will receive some very material assistance. These sugges- 
tions carefully followed out, will save many disagreeable 
experiences to the young reporter, and enable him to do 
much more satisfactory work. 

So much has been written upon the different branches of 
reporting, given under the sixth heading, that but two or 
three suggestions are devoted to each of them. In these 
are given those points which will prove of the greatest 
help to the reporter who aspires to success in any of these 
lines of work. 

In the last division, under the heading of General Sug- 
gestions, have been grouped those hints which reporters in 
any branch of the profession will find it advantageous to 
know. 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 



SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 



I. Have Faith in Shorthand. 

There is probably no other one thing that has caused so 
many people to fail in their endeavors to become reporters 
as a lack of confidence in Shorthand. Too often we hear 
beginners say : " I will try it and see whether I can succeed or 
not." ( The young man or woman, who, after seeing that 
thousands of others have made a success of Shorthand, 
cannot say, "I will succeed," had better not spend time or 
money upon it, or, in fact, upon anything else that requires 
a little study and application. / 

To become a fair reporter is no Herculean task demand- 
ing the work of years, and then to be acquired by only a 
"born few." 

Shorthand has been greatly improved of late years, 
and is based upon real scientific principles. Any one with 
only ordinary ability can master it and become able to 
write from four to six times faster than in longhand. 

Do not doubt the merits of Shorthand, but rather say, I 
will succeed. You can, if you will, make it an acquirement 
that will be of much value to you every day of your life. 



ONE HUNDBED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

If you will only throw your whole soul into the work and 
believe that you can do what many others, no smarter than 
yourself, have done, you need have no fears of making a 
failure. 

II. Take a Couse of Instruction in some School. 

You may, by your own individual efforts, be able to suc- 
ceed in becoming an expert reporter, but the chances are 
certainly against you. There is, in my mind, no doubt 
whatever as to the truth of the statement that not one in 
one hundred succeed in their efforts to master the art alone. 
On the other hand, my experience has been that not one in 
twenty-five make a failure when they conscientiously pur- 
sue the course under some competent teacher! This may 
seem to conflict with statements made in another sugges- 
tion wherein it is stated that the student, by finding it nec- 
essary to have a teacher, will come to depend upon his 
help. This, however, is not the case since the true work 
of a teacher is to guide the efforts of the pupil in the right 
direction and in this way make him more self-reliant. Al- 
though the aim of this little volume is to supply in a per- 
manent form the valuable suggestions that a teacher would 
make to a student and to assist, as far as possible, those 
who are unable to have the help of a teacher, yet no book 
can be made to cover every individual case, much less 
arouse a zeal in the work that an earnest teacher and fel- 
low students will inspire. There are, however, many young 
people who are anxious to learn Shorthand but who are so 
situated that attending a school is entirely out of the ques- 
tion. Such will find that the next best course to pursue is 
to take lessons by mail from some of the schools that are 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

doing excellent work in that line. * There are none to whom 
the mails are not accessible and who may not in this way 
receive much valuable assistance. The best school of the 
kind of which we know is the University School of Short- 
hand at Iowa City, Iowa. Having taken a course in Short- 
hand at that institution and knowing something of its 
methods of postal instruction, we would heartily recom- 
mend it to those who cannot attend a school. 

III. Shorthand Schools Guaranteeing Positions to 
Students are Frauds. 

It is true that many schools are able to render consider- 
able assistance to their pupils in helping them to secure 
positions, but to guarantee places at a certain time is per- 
fectly absurd. Parties who have no interest in the school 
whatever, are the ones who have the say in giving the stu- 
dents situations. 

If the young man who contemplates taking a course in 
some Shorthand school will give the matter a moment's 
thought he will see the fallacy of such offers. It is ex- 
pected, by such inducements, to deceive a class of young 
people who do but little thinking for themselves. We 
would be much more willing to recommend a school which 
positively stated in its advertisements that it did not guar- 
antee situations to its graduates than one which offered 
everything and charged accordingly. This class of schools 
is, as a rule, of mushroom growth. It is impossible for 
them to fulfill their promises since they have no positions 
actually at their disposal and, also, because the class of 
students drawn to such schools are not usually the kind 
likely to become able to fill good positions. It does not 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

take long to detect such frauds, after which they soon dis- 
appear. As a rule, it is much safer to attend a school that 
has maintained its reputation through a long series of years. 

IV. Do not be Discouraged by the Cry of an 
Over-Supply. 

The young man or woman who takes up the study of 
Shorthand will surely be compelled to endure the constant 
cry that there is an over-supply. To be sure there is an 
"over-supply" of Shorthand writers. So is there an over- 
Supply of workmen in every industrial pursuit, yet people 
go on learning the various trades just as though the cry 
had never been heard. The over-supply comes from that 
large class who only do things by halves. We have all 
heard^the cry of an over-supply of Lawyers, Teachers, Car- 
penters, Blacksmiths, etc., yet a good Lawyer, Teacher, or 
Carpenter is never out of employment and at a loss for 
something to do. You never hear of a man who stands 
well up in his business or profession making any complaint 
of the competition which he may have. People who can 
do their part well are always in demand. Of course there 
will always be poor reporters, just as there are poor work- 
men in all vocations in life. These will always stand in 
the way of those who can do good work, but prove yourself 
to be deserving and you will have no trouble in pushing 
past them. The demand for competent Shorthand reporters 
and type-writer operators is rapidly on the increase. No 
one can better judge of this increasing demand than those 
who have been, for a long time, engaged in supplying the 
calls for this kind of work, and these will invariably tell 
you that the demand has increased many hundred per cent. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

in the past few years, and is likely* to increase at the same 
rate in the years to come. It is true that the number 
studying Shorthand is proportionally large. The only 
effect of this, however, will be a demand for a higher stand- 
ard of proficiency in those practicing the art. Ambitious 
students need have no fear in this direction since the stand- 
ard is not likely to be so high but that anybody, with a fair 
amount of common sense, may reach it. 

The day may come, although wje doubt it, when there will 
be an over-supply of good reporters, but if ever, it is so far 
in the future that no one now living need have the least 
fear of being thus crowded. 

V. More Depends Upon Yourself Than Upon Any 

One Else. 

There is no surer way to success in any undertaking than 
by a firm reliance upon self. This applies with especial 
force to the study of Shorthand. The most successful 
reporters we have ever known were those who did not 
depend upon the help of teacher or friend to learn Short- 
hand for them, but relied upon their own abilitiy to suc- 
ceed. Real determination will go as far, if not farther, than 
natural endowments, hence he who will rely upon the former 
may have as much or even more hope of success than one 
who is otherwise naturally fitted for the work but lacks self- 
reliance. There are now too many "hangers on" in the 
reporting business. This is sure to result in failure when 
one is obliged to cut loose from all former support and act 
for himself. Resolve that you will do what others, no more 
capable than yourself have done, and then go ahead and 
do it 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

VI. Do Not Be Influenced by the Advice of People 

who Know Nothing About Shorthand. 

Nothing is more absurd than to hear a certain class of 
people decrying Shorthand when, in fact, they know noth- 
ing at all about it. We have known many young people 
who would have become excellent reporters had they not 
been induced to give up the idea of learning Shorthand by 
the advice of persons who had never before even heard of 
Stenography, 

In a court of justice the testimony of a witness would be 
rejected at once were it concerning matters of which the 
witness had no knowledge whatever. This same principle 
ought to hold good in everything. If you wish advice in 
regard to the reporting business, ask it of some one who is 
competent to advise you knowingly. It will be found, how- 
ever, that those who have given the subject enough atten- 
tion to enable them to speak authoritatively, are the ones, 
with rare exceptions, who have made a success of it and wiJl 
advise you to begin the study and stick to it. Also, do not 
allow yourself to be influenced against Shorthand by those 
who pretend to know all about it, but, who, in fact, cannot 
answer a sensible question concerning the art. 

VII. Ladies Should Not Hesitate About Learning 

Shorthand. 

Shorthand writing is a very artistic work, and as such, is 
well suited to the finer nature and more delicate organiza- 
tion of womankind. Judging from the large number of 
ladies who have entered the Stenographic field, and from 
the excellent satisfaction which is almost always given, I 
see no reason why any lady should hesitate for a moment 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

about accepting this calling, if she*felt the necessity of en- 
gaging in any kind of employment. The work is light, in- 
teresting, and in every sense respectable. Of course there 
are kinds of Stenographic work which would be distasteful 
to ladies, but these are only a very small portion of the 
places where Shorthand is used. Large commercial houses, 
railroad offices, insurance offices, banks, and other places 
where a large correspondence is conducted, the offices of 
professional men, editorial rooms, and all places where orig- 
inal documents are prepared, offer excellent opportunities 
for ladies, and in many places they are preferred to gentle- 
men. As compared with teaching it is far more desirable. 

VIII. The Student can do Much Better by Having a 
Fellow-Student with Whom to Practice. 

Shorthand, unlike most other studies, is not one in which 
the student can succeed quite as well or better by studying 
alone than he can by working with some fellow-student. 
Learning Shorthand consists, for the most part, in constant 
practice, and the nearer this practice approaches actual re- 
porting the better it is. A person may learn to do rapid 
work in Shorthand and practice only by copying, but this 
is quite different from following a speaker. By copying 
he gets his matter in sentences or parts of sentences, and 
learns to give his whole attention to writing, but when 
he comes to follow a speaker he finds it entirely differ- 
ent. He does not receive a sentence at a time, the speaker 
pausing until that has been written. The words come in a 
steady flow, one sentence following another, whether the 
reporter is ready or not Ha must learn not only to give 
off that which has been received, but also to receive con- 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

stantly new words and retain them in his memory until they 
are written. The good reporter, who, as a rule, closely fol- 
lows the speaker, should also be able to retain fifteen or 
twenty words, or even more at once, so that in case of an 
unexpected spurt on the part of the speaker he will not lose 
a single word. Since the practical work of the reporter 
consists entirely in following a speaker the more practice 
he gets of this kind the better qualified he will be. By tak- 
ing the course with some other student and the two dictat- 
ing the exercises to each other, actual reporting will come 
much easier. There is no doubt but that many who learn 
Shorthand by themselves and fail when they come to try 
actual reporting, could trace the cause to having learned 
to copy and not to report. 

IX. In the Beginning of Your Practice Use Paper 
Properly Ruled. 

This is quite essential for two reasons. First. Students 
are apt to get into the habit of making the characters of 
uneven length. They do not see the disadvantage of such 
a way of writing until they come to the double length and 
the half length letters, a device made use of in most sys- 
tems of Shorthand writing. Unless the student has become 
accustomed to writing the characters of nearly uniform 
length he will be sure to have difficulty sooner or later. 
And what is more, a habit once formed is much harder to 
overcome than it is to learn the right way in the first place. 
To secure uniformity in the length of letters, the most suc- 
cessful method we have tried is to use paper ruled both ways, 
so that the squares formed will be the right size for a letter 
of medium or standard length. The beginner should strict- 



TO SHOETHAND STUDENTS. 

ly adhere in his practice to the use of this kind of paper, 
allowing each character to correspond with the size of the 
square. One or two weeks of this kind of drill, at first, will 
develop uniformity in the handwriting sufficiently to enable 
one to use ordinary reporting paper with no danger of 
difficulty resulting^/ 

Second. Students are apt, in the beginning, to write 
their letters a third longer than necessary. This not only 
makes their work look cumbersome and is a waste of paper, 
but takes more time. The principle object of Shorthand is 
to save time, and the writer who makes his characters 
longer than necessary defeats, in a large measure, the 
efforts he is putting forth to save time. A small, plain 
handwriting should be cultivated from the very beginning, 
as it not only looks neater but is a saving of much valuable 
time. The student, and the reporter as well, should use 
paper ruled with purple lines, as they are distinct at night 
as well as in daylight, and also show plainly horizontal 
characters written upon them. Paper ruled in red should 
not be used, as the lines are apt to be so dim that to follow 
them will prove a strain upon the eye-sight while writing 
at night. 

Shorthand students will also find it advantageous to use 
paper uniform as to width of ruling. This will help 
very considerably in enabling one to maintain uniformity 
in the length of letters, since most writers gauge the size 
of their characters to a large extent by the width of the 
spaces between the lines. If the spaces differ in width 
one will form the habit of varying upright letters while the 
horizontal letters will remain unchanged. 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

X. Be Careful as to the Position of the Light by 
Which You are Writing. 

As a rule, the first thing to fail the scribe is his eye-sight. 
This is generally caused by neglecting to pay attention to 
the position of the light by which he writes, which is 
especially the case while writing at night, and using gas 
or an oil lamp. The position from which the least injury 
will result is the one which admits the light upon the paper 
without either shining directly in the eyes or casting a 
reflection into them from the paper upon which one is 
writing. Such position of the light as brings about either 
of these results should be scrupulously avoided as both are 
very injurious to the eyes. The best results of lighting the 
paper may be obtained by using a shaded light placed in 
front and far enough to the left so as not to throw the 
reflection into the eyes. 

With the lamp in this position and shaded low enough 
to protect the eyes, little trouble will follow. The light 
should also be strong enough to light the paper and ruling 
very distinctly, but not so strong as to dazzle the eyes. As 
a rule more trouble comes from having too much light than 
from having too little. Another important feature is that 
the light should be a steady one and should always be 
kept at a uniform distance from the place of writing. By 
becoming accustomed to a light just strong enough to make 
it appear as much like daylight as possible, and in proper 
position so as not to injure the eyes by direct or indirect 
light, one will find but little inconvenience from a very 
great amount of night work which every reporter is obliged 
to do from time to time. 



TO SHOKTHAND STUDENTS. 

The position of the light when using the Type-writer is 
also important. It should be placed so as to throw the 
light fully on the front of the machine, and be high enough 
to light the keyboard plainly. This can be done to the best 
advantage by having the light either to the left or right, 
according to the position of your copy, and about as high 
as the shoulder. It should be so shaded as not to throw 
any light whatever upon the operator. 

XL Learn to Pronounce Distinctly. 

The student can hardly expect to become a correct writer 
in representing words by sound signs unless he can first 
pronounce the words correctly, or, what is more difficult, 
correct the mistakes made by the speaker whom he is 
following. 

The English language, so far as pronunciation is concern- 
ed and, in fact, in every other respect, is by no means a scien- 
tific one. Being composed of so many elements, there can 
be no rules of pronunciation which will apply, even to a 
very small class of words. Still, with a little care and a 
reference to the dictionary when any uncertainty exists, 
little or no difficulty will be experienced with the majority 
of the more commonly occurring words. 

XII. Use a Pen Suited to Your Particular Touch. 

The idea of having all conform to a particular style and 
especially to a particular number of pen is perfectly absurd. 
It would be quite as reasonable to require all reporters to 
wear the same sized hat or shoes. We sometimes see 
advertisements for some special kind of pen, not even 

including different numbers of the same make, which is 

2 



ONE HUNDBED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

recommended as just the thing for all students of Short- 
hand. And people buy them, the lady whose touch is the 
most delicate vainly endeavoring to do good work with the 
same kind of an instrument used by the sturdy young man 
who has just forsaken his maul at the rail pile and has 
begun to draw curves and make hooks. The pen to use is 
the one best suited to your particular touch. Any person 
of ordinary ability will have no difficulty in deciding what 
particular pen suits his hand and with which he can do the 
best work. There are, however, some styles of pens totally 
unfit for any one to use in reporting, while there, are 
some brands among the different numbers of which, almost 
anybody may find one suited to his hand. A good gold 
pen is by far the best kind to use in Shorthand work. It 
is always ready for use and if properly taken care of will 
last for years of steady writing. In our long experience in 
reporting and teaching we have found that the short-nibbed 
gold pens manufactured by John Holland of Cincinnati, 
Ohio, are by far the best made. From among the different 
numbers anybody can find one to suit his hand since they 
run from the finest number of ladies pen up to those as 
large as any made. 

XIII. It is Quite Necessary that the Reporter be Able 
to Write a Plain Longhand. 

It is commonly believed that the practice of Shorthand 
will so affect one's longhand as to make it almost illegible. 
This belief is caused by the fact that Shorthand writers are 
generally very poor scribes. Their poor writing, however, 
is not caused, to any extent, by the mere writing of Short- 
hand. The poor longhand writing, so common among 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

reporters is, in almost every case, the result of rapid writing 
in making transcripts. The same result would be brought 
about by mere copying even though the writer had never 
made a Shorthand character. 

Now that the type- writer is used almost exclusively in 
transcribing Shorthand notes there is no excuse at all for a 
reporter not being a good longhand writer. It very fre- 
quently occurs that the amanuensis, especially, will have 
more or less writing to do by hand. Some part of his 
type-writer may give out and he will be obliged to use the 
pen until it is repaired. It also frequently occurs that 
some particular letter or paper is required to be written in 
longhand, or, it may be, copied in some book where the 
type-writer cannot be used. Often times blanks are to be 
filled out where it is necessary to use the pen. Newspaper 
and court reporters may not always be able to have a type- 
writer at hand and will be obliged to resort to longhand 
writing. There are numerous other contingencies that 
may arise in which the reporter will be expected to use the 
old method. In order to give satisfaction he should be 
able to write readily a plain longhand, for, since type- 
writing is becoming so common, people are not apt to have 
much patience with longhand unless it is executed nearly, 
if not quite, as plainly as type-written matter. 

XIV. Learn to Punctuate. 

Although there are very few, if any, punctuation marks 
used in any system of Shorthand, yet it is quite essential 
that the reporter should know when to use the more com- 
mon ones, since he has occasion to use them every time he 
makes a transcript of his notes. It is true that there is, in 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

the main, but little uniformity in punctuation, yet there are 
some general principles which are accepted by all, and 
these should be understood by all Shorthand writers. This 
would avoid much of the wretched work which is often seen 
in type-written matter and which, in that form, stands out 
in such a marked way. 

It would be w^ell for every Shorthand student, not pre- 
viously prepared in this branch, to secure some treatise on 
punctuation and make a thorough study of it. There are 
various works on the subject, any of which contain many 
valuable suggestions and are well worth a careful study. 
They may be had for a few cents and no Shorthand student 
should be without one. 

XV. Learn to Spell. 

This, to some, may seem to be a very useless suggestion, 
but any one who has an opportunity and will look over a 
few type-written letters, such as are sent out by many of 
our large business firms that employ Stenographic secreta- 
ries, would think otherwise. One would be inclined to think 
that each reporter spelled his words according to the dic- 
tates of his own fancy and that his fancy was constantly 
varying. The use of the type-writer shows errors in spell- 
ing very plainly, and the endeavor which is made by many 
to cover up the mistakes only makes a bad matter worse. 

Business men are, as a rule, aware of this failing on the 
part of reporters and are apt to treat with disfavor all 
applicants who cannot prove their ability to spell correctly 
the more common English words. The advice generally 
given to poor spellers is to "always look up a word in the 
dictionary unless you are sure that you are right." This 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

advice will apply in some cases, but too often it occurs that 
one is sure he is right when he is about as far wrong as he 
could very well be. The great trouble is that, since the 
old fashioned spelling school has become a thing of the 
past, very little effort is made by young people to acquire 
proficiency in this important branch of education. One of 
the necessary things in becoming a good type-writer is an 
ability to spell without a particle of hesitation every word 
that may be used. This is, in itself, quite an accomplish- 
ment. If: one cannot spell readily, much valuable time will 
be lost in hesitating or in looking up words in the diction- 
ary. We would advise every young reporter to give special 
attention to this point as it is well worth the while. 

XVI. Use the Best Quality of Ink. 

There is about as much difference between the various 
kinds of ink that are generally kept for sale as there is 
between a charcoal pencil and a good gold pen. And what 
is worse, very few people have any idea that there can be 
any difference in ink. Any liquid that will make a colored 
mark, even though it be only indigo water, is, to the 
majority of people, just as good as the best writing fluid. 
Good ink is just as essential as good pens and paper. Ink 
that flows evenly and freely from the pen should be used. 
It should also be such as will make distinct lines when the 
writing is being done and not become either lighter or 
darker after use. 

There are many kinds of ink which do this and the 
Shorthand writer whose system includes both light and 
shaded lines, (and this is the case with the majority of sys- 
tems,) finds it a source of much trouble, since letters which 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

were intended to be light will afterwards be mistaken for 
heavy ones and vice versa. 

The stand from which ink is used should be kept secure- 
ly corked while not in use so as to prevent the ink from 
becoming thick from evaporation or from dust settling in 
it. The stands used in most offices are, as a rule, large 
mouthed arrangements to which a cover would be a great 
surprise, and, as a consequence, the contents soon become 
more like ordinary mud than a writing fluid. An inkstand 
with a large opening is far more convenient, but in 
order to keep the contents in a proper condition it should 
be carefully covered when not in use. Of the various kinds 
of ink which I have used, I have found Thomas' writing 
fluid to be far the best for all purposes whatever, in long- 
hand as well as Shorthand. For a ready, even flow there is 
none better. For maintaining its strength and making an 
impression which will hold an almost indefinite length of 
time, it cannot be surpassed. If the beginner would, as far 
as possible, remove all impediments from the way of his 
becoming a successful reporter, he should give special 
attention to securing ink which will not make his writing 
seem the most discouraging part of the work. 

XVIL Use a Pencil of Medium Hardness. 

Although I would not advise the constant use of a pen- 
cil, yet there is no Shorthand writer who will not, at times, 
be obliged to make use of one. He may break or lose his 
pen and not have time to secure another, or he may be com- 
pelled on unexpected occasions to use paper totally unfit 
for any kind of a pen; hence he should always be supplied 
with a few good pencils sharpened ready for use. He 



TO SHOKTHAND STUDENTS. 

should also, occasionally, write with a pencil so as not to be 
entirely out of practice when circumstances make it neces- 
sary for him to use one. Many reporters use a pencil con- 
stantly, preferring it to a pen. If one is able to do better 
and more satisfactory work with a pencil than with a pen 
he certainly ought to use the pencil. 

When selecting a pencil, care should be taken not to se- 
lect one either too hard or too soft. This will depend, to 
a certain extent, upon the person and also upon the quality 
of paper used. 

For ordinary use a good quality of uncalendered paper 
will be found the best for a pencil. Of the various kinds 
of pencils which we have tried we have found that the one 
most suitable for Shorthand is Dixon's American Graphite, 
medium. This, we think, will be found to suit most people 
though some will find a softer and others a harder quality 
of the same brand more suitable. 

XVIII. Do Not Fail to be Regular at Recitations. 

If there is nothing more gained from this suggestion 
than the habit of attending regularly to your duties it will 
have served a worthy purpose. The habits you form in 
school will be very likely to cling to you when in the prac- 
tice of your profession, and if you become accustomed to 
being absent from school you will also find yourself neg- 
lecting your employer's work and, as a result, lose your 
place. There is, however, a more immediate disadvantage 
resulting from being absent from class. A good teacher, 
which you are supposed to have, if you have any, will bring 
up something of importance at each recitation. By losing 
some important link in this way, that which is, in fact, a 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

beautifully connected whole becomes disjointed and con- 
fused in the mind. The same result will be brought about 
by neglecting to thoroughly learn all the little things con- 
nected with the study. In many branches of knowledge a 
person may neglect many details and not encounter any 
serious trouble in the further progress of the study, but in 
Shorthand it is very different. Here is allowed no time 
for reflection. No chance is given to recall things only 
vaguely learned. If you do not have every little point 
upon the tips of your fingers, failure is in store for you. 
The only way in which you may be sure of avoiding such 
a result is to attend promptly every recitation, and not only 
attend but make each point presented by the teacher 
your own. 

XIX. Do Not Get Discouraged. 

At least three-fourths of those who begin the study of 
Shorthand get discouraged when about one-fourth of the 
work is accomplished. They do not stick to it long enough 
to become accustomed to the study. They make mistakes, 
as beginners in anything do, and not yet able to appre- 
ciate the real beauties of the art they get discouraged and 
give up. Young man, stop and think. Although there are 
thousands and tens of thousands who have begun and then 
given up the study of Shorthand, yet there are vast num- 
bers who have made a grand success of the work, and men 
too, with no more natural ability than many of those who 
gave it up. The only difference between the classes being 
that the one lacked force enough to carry them through, 
while the other believed that they could do what had been 
done and kept at it until they succeeded. There is no 



TO SHOETHAND STUDENTS. 

study that does not have its difficult parts and the one who 
succeeds in these is the one who will not allow every little 
thing to give him the "blues" while his equally talented 
brother falls behind and is lost sight of simply because he 
would not do what he might. A steady application of will 
is a very important factor in considering one's chances of 
success in the line of Shorthand work. 

XX. Do Not Change Systems. 

Unless you have begun some system in which you have 
afterwards found that it is absolutely impossible to become 
a reporter, do not make a change. I would especially urge 
this if you have studied a system any length of time. Af ter 
it has become fixed in the mind that a certain sign stands 
for a certain sound it is no easy matter to substitute some 
other character in its place. 

No matter how well you may learn the latter there will 
oftentimes be conflict and confusion. Especially will this 
be the case when you are trying to do rapid writing, since, 
in trying to do a thing quickly, one naturally does it the 
way he first learned. Of course, this can, by a great effort 
be overcome to a certain extent, yet never completely so. 
A person will find himself unconsciously confusing the two 
systems thus making trouble for himself in translating and 
his notes absolutely illegible to other reporters of the sys- 
tem which he pretends to write. The habit of representing 
a word or sound by a certain sign, like any other custom, 
cannot be laid aside at pleasure, like a garment. 

Those people who have used some good system for years 
and then all at once have found the "ultima thule" of 
Shorthand and have become expert reporters in some other 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

system in a few weeks may be set down as something phe- 
nomenal and quite differently constituted from the ordin- 
ary mortal. If you are desirous of making some improve- 
ments in Shorthand or wish to test the merits of the various 
systems, and do not desire to become a rapid writer, you 
may be justified in making a careful study of the various 
methods of Shorthand writing; but if your aim is to be a 
reporter the less you have to do with other systems than 
the one you have decided to adopt, the better. 

It is not advantageous even to adopt contractions from 
other systems, though they may be more brief, if in anyway 
they conflict with your own. You may not have chosen the 
best system, but to confuse the one you have, even with a 
better one, will be very sure to lessen your speed in writing. 
First, be very careful as to the system you adopt and then 
stick to it. 

XXI- Learn Thoroughly the First Principles. 

This is of the utmost importance to the beginner and yet, 
as a rule, no part of Shorthand is so much neglected. The 
first principles seem so easy and simple that students are 
apt to get the idea that they are not of much consequence. 
In this, they make a very serious mistake. In every system 
of Shorthand all that follows the first principles is devel- 
oped from, and dependent upon them. If these are ne- 
glected, as is very often the case, the student, when he 
comes to the more difficult parts of the study is almost sure 
to become confused, get discouraged and give up. In our 
experience with persons who have begun the study of 
Shorthand and made a failure of it, we have, in the large 
majority of cases, been able to trace their failure to this 



TO SHOETHAND STUDENTS. 

carse. By not having a thorough ^knowledge of that part 
of the art which is the most easy to learn, the whole becomes 
a complicated and confused mass. No wonder that so many 
find Shorthand hard to learn and make a regular botch of 
it when they have not taken the pains to learn the a, b, c's 
of the art. 

The student of Stenography cannot impress too thor- 
oughly upon his mind the elementary principles of Short- 
hand. As a rule, the extra amount of time spent in thor- 
oughly mastering the elements will be more than saved by 
the ease and rapidity with which the more difficult parts 
are acquired. 

XXII- Hold Your Pen in that Manner in which You 
Can do the Best and Most Satisfactory Work. 

There are teachers who would compel all students to con- 
form to one fixed position. There are others who insist just 
as strongly on some other position, declaring that there is 
no success without adopting their particular hobby. But 
man is not a machine, all the parts of which w T ill fit exactly 
in the same mould or move about in their spheres with the 
same harmony. Even though every person had a particu- 
lar style of his own for holding the pen or pencil yet to con- 
fine him to this with no chance of varying it would be un- 
reasonable since it would make the physical strain of writ- 
ing much greater. A slight shifting of the pen now and 
then from between the thumb and forefinger to a position 
between the first and second fingers will be a great relief in 
steady writing. Again, many find it easier to write with 
the pen held very nearly perpendicular. A person may 
compel himself to conform to any particular style of hold- 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

ing the pen and be able to do quite satisfactory work, but 
unless the style to which he is already accustomed is a very 
cramped and awkward one, it is better to retain it, since it 
requires more time to become accustomed to another than 
would be gained by the change. 

There are, it is true, certain general rules to which all 
should conform, but farther than this nothing can be said. 
Hold your pen in the manner which is the most natural and 
easy for you and so that it will move easily and lightly upon 
the paper. It will be found that the distinction between 
the light and shaded letters can be made more perfectly by 
holding the pen in a more upright position than it is gen- 
erally held in writing longhand. 

XXIII- Sit at the Table at Which you are Writing in 
an Upright and as Easy a Manner as Possible. 

The Shorthand writer, as well as the longhand writer, 
will find it to his advantage to cultivate the habit of sitting 
in an upright position while writing. Unless the left-hand 
is used the student will find the right-oblique position the 
best for steady work. It will also be advantageous to some- 
times vary this position to that of a full -front. Such a 
change will afford a considerable rest to one who is writing 
steadily. The muscles below the elbow should rest upon 
the table so as to allow the hand to move freely across the 
paper. Although the finger movement will be used in most 
strokes in Shorthand, yet the wrist and full arm movement 
can occasionally be used to good advantage. The feet should 
be set squarely on the floor and not drawn up under the 
chair as is often done. Young people are very apt to form 
such a habit, and will find it hard to overcome, yet in the 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

end they will be able to work much more comfortably by 
assuming a proper position. 

XXIV- Hold Your Paper or Note Book Firmly with 

the Left-Hand. 

This can best be done by placing the tips of the fingers 
of the left-hand upon the edge of the paper at right angles 
with the right-hand keeping the thumb against the edge of 
the paper. By a slight pressure of the fingers the paper 
can be held firmly in place while, with the thumb at the 
edge of the paper, the page can be readily turned with it as 
soon as the last line is written. This is a far more impor- 
tant suggestion than it may seem, since but poor work, at 
best, can be done, unless the paper is firmly held in its 
place. 

XXV- The Learner, as well as the Reporter, Should 

Use a Good Quality of Paper. 

The student can do a hundred per cent, better work with 
good paper than with the miserable stuff that is for sale at 
most small book and stationery establishments. The ap- 
pearance of the work which a student does goes a good 
ways towards encouraging or discouraging him in his 
efforts. The difference in price of paper will be a small 
item compared with the real advantage to be gained. 
Nicely calendered paper should be used in writing with 
a pen and the beginner should at first confine himself to 
one. After he has practiced for some weeks he can then, 
to good advantage, make use of a pencil. It would be bet- 
ter never to use a pencil at allwere it not for the fact that 
every reporter is occasionally situated so that he is obliged 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

to use one. This being the case, it is quite essential that 
all reporters become accustomed to writing with one. 
When using a pencil a good quality of uncalendered paper 
should be made use of. This will enable one to make a 
clear distinction between light and shaded letters without 
much effort while the writing will not be blurred by the 
pages rubbing together in handling. The learner will find 
it convenient to use tablets of paper, of which each leaf may 
be torn off as soon as used. These should not be destroyed 
but laid aside and afterwards carefully read over. 

XXVI. Do Not Draw Your Shorthand Characters. 

The exercises written in Shorthand in most text-books 
have a tendency to cause students to fall into this habit. 
The engravings are, as a rule, gotten up with as near an 
approach to mathematical exactness as it is possible for 
them to be. The student, in order to make his work look 
anything like the illustrations which are given in his text, 
finds it necessary to make his strokes with a great deal of 
care and as a result forms the habit of making them very 
slowly. Although it is desirable that the student be 
as nearly correct as possible and although it is true in most 
cases that the more perfect the model, toward which one is 
aiming, the better he is likely to become, yet a near ap- 
proach to perfection cannot be made at once. This is espe- 
cially true of the beginner in Shorthand who would have 
his characters exactly like the models in his text, if they 
are made with mechanical exactness, for in his attempt to 
closely imitate his model he is sure to form the habit of 
drawing them. He could not fall into a worse habit, both 
as regards his speed and the case and neatness of his work. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

The fine penman executes his most beautiful curves and 
flourishes by rapid and easy strokes. So in Shorthand the 
best work can be accomplished in the end by cultivating a 
free and easy movement. The work will be more nearly 
correct, will look much better, and the speed will not be 
sacrificed. The reporter is not supposed to have time to 
draw his characters and the less that is done of it, even in 
learning to write, the better. The writing may not look 
so well at first but by patient practice it will, in the end, 
look far better than though the student had continued to 
draw out each letter, while the speed will be very much 
greater. 

If you try to make your strokes quickly and your work 
is not at first mechanically exact, do not be discouraged, but 
bear in mind the fact that you can gradually bring your 
work to approach that point by steady and careful practice. 

XXVII, Do Not Make Your Characters too Large. 

There are two good reasons why it pays to write a small 
hand. I do not mean by this a cramped style which is as 
difficult to write and looks no better than the other extreme 
or a large and sprawling style. It takes a great deal more 
time to write a character twice as long as need be than it 
does to strike it the proper length. Many Shorthand 
writers are not aware how much time they lose by making 
all the characters much larger than is necessary. 

To save time is the one thing for which Shorthand is 
learned and to spread the characters out over double the 
necessary amount of paper is but to defeat, in a great 
measure, the end for which it is being used. More time is 
taken in making larger characters, more time is taken in 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

going back to the beginning of lines, and more time is 
needed to turn oyer the larger number of pages. These 
things, small, very small, in themselves, count in the end 
of weeks or months, and may be saved just as well as not. 
Another thing, worthy of notice, is the amount of paper 
used. Many reporters use at least twice as much paper as 
others in writing the same amount of matter. This is 
another little thing but which in time will prove to be a 
very important item. Shorthand written in a small, neat 
hand also looks much better and more like the work of an 
artist than does the ordinary scrawl which is adopted by so 
many stenographers. 

XXVIII. Make Your Shorthand Characters Uniform 

in Length. 

Almost e\ery system of Shorthand makes use of the 
principle of having different lengths for certain characters 
to indicate certain additional sounds. This is a very im- 
portant principle in Shorthand and could not very well be 
dispensed with. It becomes, however, a very serious stum- 
bling block to many students for the simple reason that the 
medium sized letters, which are learned first, are not gen- 
erally made of uniform length. If there were but one 
length for letters, this would not make so much difference, 
since the only effect would be to make the writing look 
uneven. The trouble comes when the same characters are 
to be made double length or half length, and when so 
written represent certain additional sounds. If, then, the 
student has not acquired the habit of writing each class of 
the characters of a uniform size he will be sure to get 
them confused when he comes to reading what he has 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

written. The only way to avoid trouble of this kind is to 
give particular attention, in the very beginning, to writing 
the letters of as near a uniform length as possible. 

XXIX, In Shorthand no Silent Letters are Written. 

After one has studied the subject of Shorthand a while 
and become accustomed to writing by sound he will have 
no difficulty at all in distinguishing the silent letters from 
those which are sounded. At first, however, the student is 
very apt to be more or less troubled with such letters and 
will find himself very often unconsciously inserting many 
which, upon second thought, he will readily see should not 
be written. The only way to avoid this, which to the be- * 
ginner seems a very difficult thing, is to exercise a little 
care and common sense in the start. 

XXX. Make Distinct Angles. 

Most students do not give enough attention to the angles 
between the letters of a word and between different words 
which are joined. Distinct angles are quite essential to 
legibility in Shorthand notes. Without something to 
enable one to distinguish readily where each letter ends 
and the next begins the notes would be almost worthless. 
In using the various ticks especial care should be taken or 
they will entirely disappear. It is the tendency among 
students to neglect angularity. This is, no doubt, caused 
by the fact that many very slight angles may be made quite 
plain while writing slowly. The student must take into 
consideration, however, that only those angles should be 
formed which can be distinctly made while writing rapidly. 
As it is not possible for a beginner to always decide just 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

what angles may be made rapidly and at the same time 
plainly, the only way for him to settle such a matter is to 
be guided by the experience of those whose opportunities 
in practice enable them to judge correctly about such 
things. Our experience has been that students not having 
had much practice and not being able to appreciate the 
practical utility of such forms, oftentimes refuse to adopt 
them and accustom themselves to what they suppose to be 
better outlines. The result is, when they come to use them 
in reporting, the outlines are found to be unsuitable and 
they are obliged to discard them and adopt the other forms 
before they can do satisfactory work. 

Although we would not advise students to follow blindly 
everything a text-book or a teacher may advise yet in many 
things the learner may derive a great deal of benefit from 
the experience of the teacher or author, and save himself 
from the trouble of having to go through the ordeal of 
finding out by practice the best form to adopt in each case. 

XXXI. At the Beginning of the Study be Careful 
About the Slant of Letters. 

Unless special attention is given in the beginning of the 
student's practice he will be very apt to make too little dis- 
tinction between slanting and upright strokes. Especially 
is this true in attempting to make perpendicular letters as 
it seems almost impossible for most people to make them 
anywhere near straight up and down. The majority of 
people are sure to slant the upright letters more or less to 
the right. As a result they are almost certain to get them 
confused with letters intended to slant in that direction. 

A good way to overcome this tendency is to use, for a 



TO SHOKTHAND STUDENTS. 

while, paper that is ruled both ways. The upright letters 
should be struck as nearly parallel as possible with the 
perpendicular ruling. It will not take a great deal of prac- 
tice of this kind to enable the student to readily make 
enough distinction between the different characters so that 
there will be no danger of confusing them. Another good 
plan is to make the perpendicular letters slant a little to 
the left. But in this, care should be taken not to give them 
too much slant in that direction else no advantage will be 
derived. As the upright letters are the only ones with 
which students have any trouble, particular attention should 
be given to them. 

XXXII, Learn the Vowels Well. 

Usually there is not one vowel in a thousand written by 
the Shorthand writer, yet it is quite essential that the stu- 
dent should thoroughly acquaint himself with them. He 
should do this for two reasons. 

First. In the few cases in which it is necessary to insert 
the vowels, much time will be lost unless the writer is 
familiar enough with them to insert them quickly. A few 
moments lost in hesitating as to just where to place a vowel, 
or the lack of one in an outline which will prove ambiguous 
without it, will oftentimes cause considerable and serious 
trouble. For this reason it is important that the young 
reporter should thoroughly familiarize himself with this 
part of the study. 

Second. In most systems of Shorthand the position of 
the consonant outline in its relation to the line upon which 
the writing is done, depends very frequently upon the 
accented vowel in the word. In this way many vowels are 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

indicated, thus saving the time necessary to insert them. 
It is for the purpose of indicating them by the position of 
the outline that a knowledge of the vowels is of chief im- 
portance. To be able to give words their proper positions, 
according to the vowels governing them, it is necessary, 
not only to learn the vowels as a w T hole, but also quite essen- 
tial to learn the different classes governing the different 
consonant positions. 

There are various suggestions given by the different 
writers who have published text-books on the subject of 
Shorthand as to the best method to be pursued by the 
student in familiarizing himself with the vowels, some of 
which methods are very absurd. The plan which we have 
adopted and which has proven very successful is to give 
the student, for practice in vocalizing, lists of words which, 
in ordinary writing, are generally vocalized. By practice of 
this kind the student does not form the habit of vocalizing 
words which, in actual practice, should not be vocalized, 
and what is more, he does become accustomed to vocalizing 
those words which require it. Lists of words, of which 
the positions are governed by the vowels, should also be 
used for practice by the student, as much real advantage 
may be gained by so doing. The chief difficulty with this 
plan is that so few text-books contain lists of words of this 
kind. Students of the Benn Pitman or Graham systems 
will find that the "Reporting Style of Shorthand" contains 
many special lists of this kind which will be found very 
serviceable to any one who will secure the work and make 
use of them. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

XXXIII, Practice a Little Every Day Until the Sub- 
ject is Well Understood. 

A subject only partly learned is very easily forgotten 
unless daily attention is given to its study. This is espe- 
cially true of Shorthand. As Shorthand cannot be used to 
any advantage whatever until the subject is thoroughly 
learned, a little time each day should be given to the study 
until it is well understood as a whole. When the connec- 
tion of the different parts is seen and the art well enough 
understood to enable one to make practical use of it, it 
will be valued too highly and too many occasions will occur 
when it can be used to advantage to admit of the possibility 
of its ever being forgotten. 

The cry that unless Shorthand is constantly practiced it 
will be entirely forgotten has undoubtedly been raised by 
that large class of people who have begun the study and 
have lacked the force necessary to succeed. They never 
have had, at best, more than a vague idea of what Short- 
hand really is, and not having enough interest in the sub- 
ject to keep it constantly before their minds until completed 
have given it up, and, as a matter of course, have forgotten 
what little they ever did know about it. Anything thor- 
oughly understood as a complete whole is never entirely 
forgotten. But that stage in which it has become firmly 
fixed in the mind can be reached only by constant and per- 
sistent practice, no day being allowed to pass without hav- 
ing made some advancement. By so doing there is no 
danger of one's interest flagging and of his giving up what 
would otherwise prove so interesting and profitable. 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

XXXIV. Until the Principlesareall Learned, Practice 

Only on Words Embodying Those You Have 

Mastered and No Others. 

First impressions last longest and are the hardest to 
remove. The same is true of the manner in which we 
learn to do things, that which we learn first always coming 
the most natural to us. This is especially true in writ- 
ing Shorthand since a person in trying to do a thing 
quickly, as is necessary in reporting, is almost certain to 
go about it in the manner in which he first learned to do it, 
even though it be a much longer way. 

This is one of the great objections to the manner in 
which most Shorthand text-books are arranged. The 
most satisfactory way would be to give for practice after 
each principle introduced an exercise illustrating the use 
of that principle and making use of no other principles 
except that one and others which have been previously ex- 
plained. The student should rigidly confine himself to 
exercises of this kind until all the principles are learned 
and he may then be assured that he will form the habit 
of writing but few words incorrectly, since he would be 
given no word to write until all the principles entering into 
its approved outline had been given and explained. The 
student by rigidly abstaining from practicing on miscella- 
neous matter until all the principles of the art and all the 
word-signs have been learned, ought to have but little diffi- 
culty in deciding at once what principles to use in each 
word and not be troubled by long alphabetical outlines 
continually suggesting themselves to the mind. 



TO SHOBTHAND STUDENTS. 

XXXV, Keep a List of Word* and gharse -Signs in 
Your Pocket to Study at Leisure Moments. 

At least one-third of the work of learning Shorthand con- 
sists in thoroughly mastering the word and phrase-signs. 
By always having a list at hand and making it a point to 
improve every now T and then a few minutes which would 
otherwise be wasted, much of the monotonous part of the 
work would be accomplished. The author of this little vol- 
ume was at first discouraged by what seemed an endless 
task, but by adopting this method the whole was accom- 
plished with apparently no effort whatever. In connection 
with this, it would be well for the student to have about 
him some exercise, written several days previous, to trans- 
late as occasion offers. This will prove to be a very great 
help in enabling the student to read readily, matter not 
fresh in the mind. 

XXXVI. The Student Should Make Use of a Dic- 
tionary in all Cases of Doubtful Outlines. 

Every good system of Shorthand has a dictionary giving 
the correct outline or word-sign in that system for all the 
commonly occurring words in the language. These outlines 
are, as a rule, those made use of by the best writers of that 
system, and can be relied upon as being the best form for the 
word. By a regular use of the dictionary the student will 
learn far more facile outlines for all difficult words than 
his own skill will be likely to suggest. Without such help 
he will learn to write many words by more difficult forms 
than need be, since from his inexperience he would not be 
likely to think of, or even know which are really the best. 
Even if the student had thought of the proper outline for 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

some difficult word, it would afford him considerable satis- 
faction and encouragement to look-up the word and be 
assured that he had thought of the correct form. 

Another great advantage, in a constant use of the dic- 
tionary, is, that in looking up words, many principles and 
word-signs will be recalled which otherwise would, in all 
probability, be entirely forgotten. It is only after review- 
ing the principles and word-signs over and over again that 
it is possible to become thoroughly familiar with them. 
This can be done in no better way than by a constant ref- 
erence to the dictionary. Every reference of this kind will 
give an illustration of one or more principles and help to 
fix them more firmly in the mind. 

XXXVII. Several Students Should Meet Together 
Occasionally for Mutual Practice. 

Every Shorthand student should, if possible, have a few 
fellow-students or classmates with whom he may meet 
occasionally for practice. Much assistance may be derived 
from mutual suggestions and by each making it a point to 
correct the errors he may notice in the other's work. 
Many a mistake may be pointed out and errors corrected in 
this way that would otherwise be unnoticed. Another ad- 
vantage to be gained by this plan is in having some one 
dictate to you to whom you could dictate in return. The 
student should make it a point to do as little writing as 
possible from copying, since in practice all Shorthand 
work is done from dictation. This plan will enable one to 
increase his speed much more rapidly than could be done 
by mere copying. The student is also more apt to keep up 
an interest in the study if he has one or more classmates. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

The inborn disposition which mtfst young people have to 
be as good as their classmates is a very potent factor, and 
can be made use of to good advantage in the study of 
Shorthand. 

The difficulty with most people is not what they can do 
but what they will do. No one does all that he might. 
The most successful man is the one who always places 
himself in the position in which he will be likely to accom- 
plish the most. Any student might learn History or 
Mathematics at home, yet young people find it necessary 
to go to some college or university, at a great expense, to 
learn these subjects. They do this for the simple reason 
that most men must have a greater incentive to hard study 
than the mere love of knowledge. In class they feel that 
to fall behind or totally fail is a disgrace. By sheer force 
of will the same result might be reached, but only a few 
have sufficient amount of will-power to enable them to do 
this. This being the case other incentives must be sought 
and nothing will serve the purpose better than a few deter- 
mined fellow-students. Iii the study of Stenography this 
is especially desirable, and we would advise every one 
who contemplates learning the art to secure some friend or 
acquaintance to pursue the course with him. You may be 
assured that by this method you will do at least fifty per 
cent, better than by studying alone. 

XXXVIII. First Acquire Accuracy and then Speed. 

Too often students get the false idea that speed" is the 
only thing needful in order to make a first-class reporter. 
This is a very erroneous notion; for of what value is rapid 
writing if it is not done correctly. It is true that a person 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

may, to a certain extent, become accustomed to his own 
errors, yet he can never read his notes as fluently as though 
they were properly written, while they will be entirely 
useless to any one else. It will be far easier to overcome 
the habit of writing slowly than that of forming outlines 
incorrectly. In fact the latter is almost impossible to over- 
come. There is no real conflict between the two. The 
student ought to be able to form the habit of writing cor- 
rectly without any danger of retarding the increasing of 
his speed. 

XXXIX. Thoroughly Memorize all the Word and 
Phrase-Signs. 

Almost every system of Shorthand is made at least 
twenty-five per cent, shorter by its word and phrase con- 
tractions. 

These are, by no means, arbitrary signs, but consist of 
abreviations composed of the principal part of the outline 
of the word or phrase for which they stand. In longhand 
writing, the words for which we have abreviations, are, as 
a rule, words which very seldom occur, as, for example, 
Eev., Mr., Sept., Pres., etc. In Shorthand the words for 
which there are brief signs are those which occur most 
frequently. Such words as is, of, or, to, ivhich, for, all, 
shall, will, he, him, you, your, but, if, in, on, should, our, 
the, etc., have in Shorthand contracted forms to represent 
them. 

Although there are but a few hundred of these contrac- 
tions, yet it is almost impossible to write a sentence of a 
half-dozen words without using one or more for which 
there is a sign. This being the case.it becomes very im- 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

portant that you have these signs "upon your fingers' ends." 
Tou need not expect to gain any considerable degree of 
speed without knowing them as well as you know your 
a, b, c's. 

Not only be able to write them correctly at slow dicta- 
tion, but know them so well that the sound of the word 
will cause a picture of the outline to be immediately formed 
in the mind. 

XL. Leave Blank Lines or a Wide Margin for 
Corrections After Dictation. 

Every Shorthand student will find it advantageous to 
leave every other line blank, or better, to have his note 
book ruled in double columns and when taking dictation, 
either in class or privately, to use only one column. After- 
wards he should go over the w T ork carefully, re-writing the 
whole in the other column and correcting every mistake he 
may have made. This will be excellent practice, as it will 
enable him to see wherein he is most liable to err in writ- 
ing. This same plan is also very valuable in taking rapid 
or technical dictation. It gives the reporter room to make 
corrections or to afterwards insert any part that may have 
been omitted in his endeavor to keep up with the dictation. 
Any report which is to be gotten up with a great deal of 
care, or notes taken at a high rate of speed, should be gone 
over soon after being taken while it is still fresh in the 
mind, and all necessary corrections made. This can not be 
done in a satisfactory manner unless blank lines or a mar- 
ginal column has been left for the purpose. This plan is 
adopted by a large number of reporters especially in doing 
technical work and is certainly a great advantage. The 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

marginal column need not, in regular work, be over one- 
third or one-fourth as wide as the one in which you take 
your dictation, since, if you are a good reporter, the cases 
where any corrections are needed will only occasionally 
occur. The student, however, should have two columns of 
equal width and, for some time after beginning regular 
dictation, should go over all he writes, copying the whole 
and correcting every mistake that may be found. This 
should be strictly adhered to by the student for at least 
a month of daily practice. The real benefit derived from 
such practice will amply repay the time spent in that way. 

XLI. Shorthand Notes are Seldom Punctuated. 

In verbatim reporting and in very many other kinds of 
work in which a high degree of speed is required, no time 
is given for the insertion of punctuation marks. By a 
great many they are not inserted even while writing long- 
hand, that being left to be attended to afterwards if done 
at all. It is, in fact, next to an impossibility for one to 
correctly punctuate a sentence until he has heard the whole 
of it and, as the reporter oftentimes cannot afford to fall so 
far behind the speaker, it is plain that he will find it quite 
impossible to insert the marks in their proper places. 
Since the words are taken down just as they are spoken it 
is easier to insert the marks of punctuation when the tran- 
script is made, for then more time is allowed to attend to 
it. Reporters generally have no trouble in regard to 
periods. By some they are regularly inserted. The major- 
ity of reporters, however, do not take the trouble to make 
even these, but indicate them by leaving a blank space of 
from one-half to three-fourths of an inch. It is much 
easier to do this and it serves the purpose quite as well. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

XLII. Do not Phrase Over any Pause or Break of 
Any Kind in a Sentence. 

Shorthand notes, when properly phrased, are, as a rule, 
more legible than though each word were written sepa- 
rately. In speaking, words are naturally combined into 
phrases, clauses, or brief sentences, and in reading, one is 
enabled to grasp the meaning, much more readily, if it is 
possible to have these combinations of words, which are 
related to each other either grammatically or rhetorically, 
set off in some way from what precedes and from what 
follows. In longhand this is done, to a certain extent, by 
means of punctuation marks which are of great assistance 
in enabling one to grasp the meaning of what is being read. 
The same advantage may be gained in Shorthand, where, 
as a rule, no punctuation marks are used, by uniting those 
parts of a sentence which are naturally related to each 
other. In order to take advantage of the help which may 
be secured in this way care must be taken not to unite 
words between which there is any grammatical or rhetorical 
pause. Phrasing, however, cannot be made use of if the 
words composing the parts which would naturally be united 
do not form good angles in joining. 

XLIII. Shorthand Notes Must be Legible. 

Many of the preceding suggestions bear upon this one 
point. This suggestion is made with the idea of impress- 
ing still more strongly upon the mind the very great im- 
portance of giving special attention to all the little things 
connected with Shorthand. It is the neglect of details 
that, in most cases, causes trouble in translating notes. 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

Carelessness in shading, in making the proper hooks, in 
giving the letters the proper slant, in position, and many- 
other things in which reference has already been made, 
goes far toward making the writing illegible. Eead over 
carefully all that has been said concerning these points and 
do not allow your writing to be lacking in respect to any of 
them. It is a common complaint among people who do 
not pretend to know anything about Stenography and even 
among many who do pretend to, that Shorthand cannot be 
read. As a rule, this is caused by the poor writing of those 
who have not learned the art, yet it is not always the 
case. It frequently occurs that notes which have been 
taken very accurately cannot be read at all by the writer. 
There is no other reason for this than that the person has 
not learned to read Shorthand. There is a vast difference 
between writing Shorthand and reading it. And right 
here is where a great many fail, simply because they learn 
only one branch of the art and almost entirely ignore the 
other. Half the work of learning Shorthand consists in 
acquiring an ability to read without hesitation what has 
been written. Until one acquires ability in this direction 
it will make no difference how plainly he may write, his 
Shorthand will not be legible to him. The extent of one's 
ability to read notes will determine the extent of their 
legibility to him, since legibility to each one depends very 
much upon his familiarity with what has been written and 
the ease with which he can grasp the meanings of the 
various combinations. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

XLIV. Teach the Principles of the Art to Some 
Other Student. 

I would say right in the beginning that I do not wish to 
be misunderstood. I do not mean to advise students to 
make use of others as mere subjects upon which to prac- 
tice for their own benefit. Looking at the matter in the 
proper light, it is plain that the student instructor and the 
one instructed will be mutually benefited. A student who 
is one in the real sense of the word, ought, after a careful 
study of a lesson and after a thorough explanation of all 
the difficult points has been given by his teacher, to under- 
stand it quite well enough to convey his ideas while they 
are fresh in his mind to another in a perfectly clear and 
intelligible manner. 

Shorthand, like any other study, is liable to be forgotten 
unless something is done to specially impress the various 
principles upon the mind. There is no better way to 
do this than by imparting one's knowledge to another. 
Teachers are well aware that those branches which they 
have taught are so vividly impressed upon the mind that 
they are rarely, if ever, forgotten, while other studies 
which they have at one time understood quite as well have 
been so nearly forgotten that only vague ideas in regard 
to them are retained. The chances are that Shorthand 
will be quite as readily forgotten, especially by those who 
do not follow the business of reporting, unless something 
is done to specially impress and fix the principles in the 
mind. This can be done in no better and surer way than 
by instructing others in what they themselves have learned. 
They should be very careful not to convey wrong ideas, or 
leave out anything which is essential for a pupil to know. 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

There need, however, be no danger of this if the instruc- 
tions are given while they are fresh in the mind. 

XLV. Learn Thoroughly the First Principles of Gram- 
mar, Punctuation, and Capitalization. 

In taking down rapidly the words of another, no time is 
allowed for giving any attention to matters of this kind. 
Knowledge of these, however, is absolutely necessary in 
making an acceptable transcript. It will not do to w r rite 
out a speech or a letter as though it were one long, loose 
sentence without a pause or a capital in it. Inability to 
readily capitalize, punctuate, and re-arrange poorly con- 
structed sentences will and should debar one from the pro- 
fession. There are, however, thousands of persons who 
have gathered a few vague ideas from some work on Short- 
hand or attended some school with a "six weeks' course " in 
the art and who do not know enough to capitalize the 
word America or to place an interrogation point after an 
expression like this — Does he know anything; but who 
think they are competent reporters. It is such that are 
lowering the standard of the profession and are either 
causing or raising the cry of an over-supply. To give sat- 
isfaction the young reporter must be able to carefully cor- 
rect all obvious grammatical errors made by the speaker, 
mark off the proper sentences, insert the proper marks of 
punctuation, and capitalize the right words. In order to do 
this, no small amount of study and practice must be given 
to the subject. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

XLVI. In all Your Practice While Learning the Art, 
Read, at Least Once, All You Write. 

This is a part of the student's work which is quite as 
essential as any other, and yet one more neglected than 
anything else. It is just as much an accomplishment to be 
able to read Shorthand notes readily as it is to write rap- 
idly. Ability to do this can be attained only by perse- 
verance in that part of the work. 

We once heard a professor in one of our great universi- 
ties say that he had, when a boy, learned Shorthand and 
acquired a very considerable degree of speed in writing, 
but when he came to translate his first actual work he was 
totally at sea. Like Dickens, he had either to go back and 
begin over again or give it up, and he choose the latter. 
By a few questions we learned that, up to the time he had 
made his first attempt at reporting, he had never read a 
single word of what he had written. 

Reading and writing are two very distinct operations. 
In the one, the word suggests the outline, while in the 
other it is the reverse, it being necessary for the sign to 
recall the word for which it stands. As before stated a 
person may become expert in writing and at the same time 
be unable to make any sense at all out of his notes. So, 
also, might he become a very rapid reader of plain Short- 
hand notes and not be able to write ten words per minute. 
A very good illustration of a similar phase of the mind 
may be found in almost any one of the large numbers who 
study some foreign language in our colleges. They are 
able to read French or German or Latin quite fluently 
while it is very likely that not one in a hundred can write 
the most simple sentence readily and correctly. If we 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

would only bear in mind how long we were in learning to 
read longhand we would not hesitate about devoting the 
comparatively small amount of time necessary to enable us 
to become expert readers as well as writers of Shorthand. 
The only way that the student may be assured he is 
giving enough attention to this part of the work is to read 
over, at least once, everything he writes. With this amount 
of practice, by the time he is able to write one hundred 
words per minute he ought to be able to read his notes 
quite as readily as he does ordinary longhand. 

XLVII. Occasionally Read Over Notes Written Sev- 
eral Days Previous. 

The student can easily find time and should make it his 
practice to read over immediately everything he has writ- 
ten. "When he begins actual reporting, however, he will 
not always be able to do this. In Convention and Law 
reporting especially, he will often times be obliged to tran- 
scribe notes taken weeks or months or, it may be, years 
before, and which he has never had an opportunity to read 
over in the meantime. It also often occurs that an amanu- 
ensis is required to go back to his file and make copies of 
letters or documents of some kind, of which he does not 
remember the first thing. To be able to do this readily 
requires more or less practice in reading notes written 
some time previous, a drill which should not be neglected 
by the student. In reading what has been written only a 
few hours before, the memory plays a very important part; 
but help of this kind is entirely wanting when it comes to 
reading old notes. To read readily notes which, to use the 
common phrase, have become cold, requires the peculiar 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

faculty of being able to grasp the sense where no better 
clue is given than the context and some of the leading 
words. The student will find this rather difficult at first, 
but will be surprised, as he practices more and more, at 
the ease with which each outline will suggest the proper 
word. 

The reporter's watchword, "Practice," is too often under- 
stood only to mean, To Write, when it should also mean, 
To Read, as well as to write. And it should not only mean 
to read each sentence or paragraph as soon as written and 
while it can almost be repeated from memory and the notes 
then to be destroyed, but should mean to go back every 
now and then and translate notes where the memory will 
not assist and where there is nothing upon which to depend 
but what has actually been written. 

XLVIII. Be Able to go Back and Read Readily Any- 
thing You Have Just Written. 

It quite frequently happens that a person in dictating 
forgets the precise statements he has made. This will 
necessitate his calling for a reading of a portion, or, it may 
be, all of the paper or letter which he has already expressed. 

This is more apt to occur in legal work and in those 
branches of commercial reporting where exact statements 
are required. The reporter should be able to go back and 
read without hesitation any portion desired. Ability to 
do this can be acquired only by persistent practice. It 
is, however, quite necessary that the reporter be able to 
do so, and he should not consider himself competent to 
fill a position unless he is able to read without hesitation, 
that which he has just written. Though it may not be 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

possible for him to read fluently, matter which has been 
written at some previous time, in which case the memory- 
does not assist him, yet he ought not to hesitate in reading 
matter which is perfectly fresh in his mind. 

XLIX. Correspond in Shorthand With Some 
Other Student. 

There are several advantages to be gained by correspond- 
ing in Shorthand with some other student. In the first 
place, one can keep up a much greater interest in the 
study. I would especially urge the student to do this if 
he is not fortunate enough to have a fellow student with 
whom he can pratice. By corresponding in Shorthand and 
carefully correcting each other's work, much benefit may 
be derived; though this plan is not advisable until the stu- 
dent is well through the principles. If an attempt is made 
to write miscellaneous matter before all the principles are 
learned, one will be certain to form many words with 
wrong outlines. Afterwards, when trying to do rapid work, 
there will be danger of confusing the outline first learned 
with the correct one. A letter in Shorthand will surely be 
read, and practice of this kind will aid the student very 
materially in learning to read his notes readily — a thing 
which too many are unable to do. 

Another advantage which will result from Shorthand cor- 
respondence will be the ambition aroused in each to do as 
well or better than the other. This spirit of emulation, 
which is a plausible one, will, often times, do more to spur 
the student on to greater efforts than he is aware of, and 
in all probability will, in many cases, lead on to a far 
greater degree of success than he would otherwise attain. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

L. Practice on Something You Wish to Learn. 

As soon as you are able to write miscellaneous matter, 
the best plan is to confine yourself, at least a part of the 
time, to practicing upon something the subject matter of 
which you wish to make your own. Since it is a good plan 
to read over all the notes you take at dictation, you can by 
this means become possessed of many important facts that 
would otherwise never be learned. A good text-book will 
have the explanations of the principles embodied, as far as 
possible, in language suitable for dictation work. This end 
has been kept constantly in view in the choice of language 
in these suggestions. The student who is just beginning 
general dictation work will do well to spend a portion of 
every dictation exercise in writing some of these sugges- 
tions and afterwards translating them and comparing the 
translation with the original. This, in itself, will be an 
excellent exercise for the student, while he will also be 
acquiring, without effort, many valuable points which will 
never come amiss to him, both in studying and practicing 
the art. 

LI. Keep Cool. 

If there is one thing that needs emphasizing more than 
another of a reporter's qualifications it is to keep cool. 

Shorthand needs too much attention to be written prop- 
erly unless one is perfectly calm. There are times in every 
reporter's career, even if he be only an amanuensis, which 
will require all the nerve that he can control to enable him 
to "get it all down." 

To acquire the ability to keep cool under all circumstan- 
ces is, for most people, by no means a light task. It is, in 



ONE HUNDBED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

fact, almost an impossibility for some. Confining ourselves 
within the limit of Shorthand, there is no better way to 
enable the reporter to be deliberate, under all circumstan- 
ces, than a thorough preparation for the work, such a pre- 
paration as will inspire a confidence that you are equal to 
the task before you. This, with a firm determination that 
you will succeed, will go far towards making you deliberate 
and insuring your success. 

Always bear in mind that a slow writer with a cool head 
will accomplish far more than a much more rapid reporter 
who cannot control his feelings but gets nervous at every 
little thing that occurs out of the regular course of events. 

LI I. Educate the Eye and Ear, as Well as the Hand. 

The eye and the ear need training quite as well as the 
hand. There is little or no danger that the hand will not 
receive enough attention, since no practice can be done 
without its application. This is too often considered all 
that is necessary. Many students get the idea that the 
chief requisite is to get the fingers over the paper rap- 
idly. The proper cultivation of the ear, especially, is neg- 
lected. The reporter's work is almost exclusively done by 
writing from another's speaking. To do this well, the ear 
and hand must be trained to act together. It is just as 
necessary that the ear be trained to catch every sound as it 
is that the fingers be able to form the outlines rapidly. The 
ear can be trained in no better way than by careful practice 
in writing at dictation. In order to become accustomed to 
different voices and different styles of dictation it is well 
to have different ones dictate or read to you. 

The eye should be so trained as to recognize forms at 



TO SHOETHAND STUDENTS. 

once even though they are not*mechanically exact, The 
best way to accomplish this end is to read Shorthand. 
Head over all your own notes and as much as you can of 
other's writing. 

To be an expert reporter these two faculties should be so 
well trained that one will, with no effort, catch every word 
of a speaker and unconsciously form in the mind the out- 
line which represents it. One can do this perfectly only 
after long years of practice, but it can never be done satis- 
factorily at all unless the student is careful in the very be- 
ginning. 

LI II. Form the Habit of Picturing in Your Mind the 

Outlines of Words You Hear in Conversation 

or See in Reading. 

Most students will find this an easy and, at the same 
time, a very profitable habit to acquire. Many students 
experience considerable trouble in training the mind to act 
rapidly in recalling the proper outline for words. They 
know the outline well enough and can execute it rapidly 
when once they are Bble to recall it but too often have to 
stop and think what it is. The only way to attain ability 
to do this readily is by practice. Of all the qualifications 
necessary for a reporter, that of recalling outlines readily 
is beyond all doubt one of the most difficult to acquire, yet 
by a little effort towards forming the habit of recalling the 
outlines of words which are heard and read, one will soon 
find it easy to write without hesitation the outline for any 
word that may occur. The student, however, should not 
suppose that ability to recall words quickly is all that is 
necessary to enable him to write rapidly. The fingers must 



ONE HUNDBED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

also be trained to move rapidly as well and in harmony 
with the power of recalling the characters. Hence, that 
kind of drill which will bring both into action at once and 
train them to act harmoniously should not be neglected. 

LIV. Write Your Shorthand Characters Near 
Each Other. 

There are three important points to be gained by making 
use of this suggestion. In the first place, time is saved. It 
takes as long again to move a quarter of an inch as it does 
to move an eighth and to save half of the time generally 
taken by most Shorthand writers who separate their charac- 
ters quite widely will be found to considerably increase 
one's speed. A second advantage, though apparently a 
trifling one, is the saving of paper, which may be made by 
writing the signs much nearer to each other than most re- 
porters do. It is undoubtedly true that a great many re- 
porters leave nearly, if not quite, as much blank space be- 
tween the characters as is occupied by the outlines them- 
selves. "With the reporter who is doing any amount of 
writing this will prove to be no small item. Besides it 
makes the work look more compact and connected than for 
each word or phrase to stand out as though it were an isola- 
ted or disjoined part. A third advantage to be urged in fa- 
vor of writing the characters closely together is, that it en- 
ables the writer to indicate more readily by a blank space a 
full pause or any important break in the sentence. It would 
be hard to thus indicate them unless the words were writ- 
ten reasonably close together. 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

LV. Copy Several Times all the Phrases Given in 
the Phrase Book. 

Every system of Shorthand lias or should have a book of 
phrases as well as a dictionary. A vast amount of time 
may be saved and in many places the sense will be made 
plainer by properly joining the words into phrases. All 
the words of short sentences even may be joined if a good 
angle occurs at each juncture. The student cannot, of 
course, from his inexperience always know when it is best 
to join words and when not to join them. In fact he will 
find that learning to phrase is one of the most difficult 
things he will meet with in his endeavor to become a re- 
porter. 

The beginner is very apt to phrase too much. He is 
liable to join words when the angle between them is very 
slight. This may be done while writing slowly as a slight 
angle could then be made plain, but the student must, how- 
ever, bear in mind that only those words should be united 
which may be joined readily and between which the angles 
are such that they may be easily and distinctly made while 
writing rapidly. He can learn this only by gaining his in- 
formation from those who have had experience or from 
some work embodying the results of the experience of some 
practical reporter, since the student himself can have had 
no chance to gain much information from his own practice. 

A good phrase book will contain all the commonly occur- 
ring phrases which are easily and readily formed while 
writing at a high rate of speed. By writing them ten or 
fifteen times, the student will find himself almost uncon- 
sciously overcoming what before seemed an unsurmounta- 
ble obstacle. 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

LVI, Learn to Keep Long Sentences in the Mind. 

With the reporter ability in this direction is quite essen- 
tial to success, not only in taking notes but also in making 
transcripts of the same. 

Although it is advisable for the reporter to closely follow 
the speaker, yet he should be able to occasionally fall con- 
siderably behind and at the same time not lose a word that 
is uttered. Unless the student has acquired ability to do 
this he will be sure to fail when an unexpected spurt is 
made by the speaker. He will have ample opportunity to 
catch up during the pause which a speaker always makes 
after every flight in his delivery. 

Ability to retain long sentences in the mind will also 
prove of advantage in transcribing, since it will save much 
time in referring back and forth from the copy to the work 
and vice versa. A person in copying ought to be able to 
retain at least twenty-five or thirty words in his mind at a 
time. By being able to do this, much more rapid work 
may be done. 

One's ability in this direction will depend, to a great ex- 
tent, upon his practice and the kind of matter to be copied. 
Much improvement, however may be made by constant and 
patient endeavor. Persons who, at first, may not be able to 
retain half a dozen simple words can easily increase their 
ability at least fourfold. 

LVI I. Reporters Often Contract Long Outlines. 

In writing words with long outlines or terms composed 
of several words which occur quite frequently in a report 
or in a business in which such words or terms are com- 
monly used, the reporter will find it greatly to his advan- 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

tage to abbreviate the outlines to a considerable extent. 
This would not do, if they occurred only rarely, as very 
little and often times no help at all could be derived from 
the context in reading; but in matter in which they appear 
scores of times no trouble need be caused by contracting 
them very considerably every time they occur. 

In various kinds of law reporting certain long legal 
terms occur very frequently the outline for which 
should be contracted by the reporter. Every kind of bus- 
iness, in fact, has a large number of words and phrases 
peculiar to itself and for which the reporter can easily form 
contractions. It may seem strange to some that word- 
signs are not given in works of Shorthand for words of this 
kind. This is not advisable for the reason that there has 
come to be such a great variety of work for reporters that if 
each were to learn all the contractions used in every kind 
of business he would be obliged to tax his memory with a 
very large list of signs which in practice he would never 
have occasion to use. 

With the present confusion of so many systems we can 
see no better plan than for each Stenographer to adopt brief 
outlines for those words and expressions which are of most 
frequent occurrence in the line of work in which he is 
engaged. Care should, of course, be taken to adopt only 
those forms which are both brief and easily made and at 
the same time expressive enough to save trouble in read- 
ing them. 

LVIII. Do Not Allow the Pen to Stop Between the 
Different Parts of a Word or Different Words 
of a Phrase. 
Beginners are apt to fall into the habit of making a full 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

stop at the angles and even between letters where there is 
no angle at all. Where there is an acute angle to be formed 
a stop must, of course, be made, yet it need not be a percept- 
ible one. If there is no angle at all and the parts are joined 
by a curved stroke no pause whatever should be made. 
Much time is lost by pauses of this kind and, unless the 
student is careful, he will allow this habit, which he neces- 
sarily formed in the very beginning of his practice, to 
become so strong that it will be hard to overcome. 

LIX. Always Have the One Who Dictates to You 
Speak a Little Faster Than You Can Write. 

If nothing of this kind is done to urge you to greater 
efforts, you can not expect to increase your speed very rap- 
idly. The teacher who understands his business will, by a 
regular increase in his rate of dictation, gradually lead his 
pupil up to a speed that will enable him to do practical 
work. This, however, must be done slowly. Speed in 
Shorthand is not acquired by long and rapid strides. It is 
uphill work, and proficiency can be attained only by tak- 
ing one small step at a time until the utmost height is 
reached. 

LX. Learn to Operate the Type-Writer. 

Shorthand and type-writing are twin brothers. I might 
almost say Siamese twins. Until within the last few years 
it was not considered a necessary qualification for a reporter 
to understand the use of the type-writer. During late 
years, however, writing machines have been so greatly im- 
proved that by their use much time may be saved, both in 
writing and reading. As a result, the majority of places 
where a large amount of writing is done and especially 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

where a Stenographer is employed the type-writer is also 
used. By the use of the writing machine, notes may be 
transcribed in at least one-half the time required in long- 
hand and in a far more legible manner. Another very 
great advantage in the use of the type-writer is that one 
can easily take two or more copies at the same time with- 
out extra work. One can also write much longer without 
tiring the muscles of the hand as is done in writing long- 
hand since there is more variation in the movement and 
both hands are used. Pen paralysis is destined to become 
a thing of the past and writing will come to be, in a great 
measure, a pastime instead of the drudgery it is with the 
pen. 

Before beginning to practice upon the type-writer the 
student should have a thorough explanation of the machine 
made to him by some experienced operator, or make a 
thorough study of it guided by some manual of instruc- 
tion. 

Speed depends, to a great extent, upon a systematic man- 
ipulation of the keys, and unless care is taken, especially in 
the beginning, one will become accustomed to make many 
moves which will retard rather than facilitate the work. It 
may be monotonous at first, yet it is very essential that the 
beginner adhere, as nearly as possible, to some regular sys- 
tem in practice until he can follow it without conscious 
effort. 

"The Type-writer Instruction Book," published by Mrs. 
M. V. Longley, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is, doubtless, the best 
work of the kind for type-writer students, It is arranged 
for both the Caligraph and Remington machines. 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

LXI. Learn to Take Care of the Type-Writer. 

There is, probably, not more than one place in fifty where 
Stenography is made use of in which the reporter is not 
only expected to know how to operate the type-writer but 
is also supposed to understand how to take care of the ma- 
chine. For one who thoroughly understands the machine, 
keeping it in good running order is no task at all. The 
later styles of type-writers are so simple that after a few 
hours' examination, any person ought to understand the 
workings of all its parts well enough to run it with the least 
possible wear. This, however, is far from being the case. 
So much so, that one would suppose that the ordinary type- 
written letters sent out by the majority of our large busi- 
ness houses were written on a machine which had been 
used an age, when in all probability, six months would in- 
clude the full extent of its usage; yet a good type-writer 
properly taken care of ought to do five hours work or more 
every day for ten years. 

Every type-writer company, in sending out its machines, 
sends with each one a book of instructions. This is gener- 
ally very explicit in its directions and any one who will 
give these instructions a little careful study ought to have 
no trouble in keeping his writer in order. The great trouble 
is that the majority of operators have never seen one of 
these books. Another trouble arises from the fact that 
very few ever pay the least attention to the mechanism of 
their machines. It does not require a mechanical genius 
to find the difficulty when something gets out of order, nor 
does it take an expert to regulate all the different parts, but 
it does require that a little common sense be used, a thing 
which is too seldom done by a great many of our so-called 
ype-writer operators. 



TO SHOKTHAND STUDENTS. 

The use of the type-writer would be greatly increased 
were it not for the discredit cast upon it by the work of 
so many poor operators. It is needless to say that the type- 
writer is a really excellent machine and that it will, some 
day, supersede the use of the pen, but it can never be done 
until a higher standard of work is demanded. This point 
cannot be reached until operators better understand the 
machine they operate and take more pride in their work. 

LXII. Practice on the Kind of Business in Which 
You Expect to Engage. 

What we mean by this suggestion is to familiarize your- 
self, as much as possible, with the nature and especially the 
duties connected with the business upon which you intend 
to enter. For instance, suppose you intend to act as an 
amanuensis for some wholesale book and publishing house, 
you will find that the more you know of the book trade and 
especially the correspondence connected therewith the 
easier it will be for you to secure a position and to fill it 
satisfactorily after you have secured it. 

Of course there will be a great deal you cannot learn un- 
til you are actually engaged in the work, yet a few general 
ideas of a business will give a person more confidence in 
himself than he would otherwise have and also enable him 
to understand many other things much more readily than 
he otherwise would. 

If possible, the student should secure letters or copies of 
letters relating to the business in which he expects to en- 
gage and by their help familiarize himself, as far as may 
be, with the technical terms and peculiarities of that par- 
ticular kind of work. 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

The student who is fitting himself for general work, of 
course, cannot profit much by this suggestion and will find 
his work proportionally harder in the beginning. 

LXIII. The Amanuensis May Adopt, to Good Advan- 
tage, Contracted Forms for a Large Number of 
Words and Expressions of Frequent Oc- 
currence in His Special Work. 

Every kind of profession or business has a large number 
of words and phrases peculiar to it. Outside of the range 
of these particular branches, these words are very seldom 
used. Hence it is not advisable for the student to spend 
time in learning a long list of abbreviations, a large per 
cent, of which are made use of only in special branches of 
work, The better plan is for the student to learn only the 
signs for the most commonly occurring words and phrases. 
Then when he has decided to engage in any particular 
-branch of business, or, better, after he has had opportunity 
■fco gain some experience in it, he will find it an easy matter 
to contract the outlines for the words and phrases peculiar 
to that profession or business and for the stereotyped ex- 
pressions to which his employer, like all mankind, is par- 
ticularly addicted. 

Most reporters devise contractions for such terms and 
expressions and find them very helpful in expediting their 
work and in no way affecting the legibility of their notes. 

LXIV. Do Some Practical Work for Some 
Business Man. 

The best kind of practice the student can have, after he 
has learned the principles, is that which approaches most 
nearly to the kind of work he will be obliged to do in ac- 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

tual reporting. Business men, in fact, are much more apt 
to prefer those who have had some practical experience, 
and in order to be able to satisfy them that you are not a 
mere beginner it will be well to secure some actual practice 
just for the experience it will give. Go to some business 
man who has more or less correspondence and offer to take 
all his letters for a while without wages. You can well 
afford to do this for two reasons. In the first place, you 
will be fitting yourself in the most thorough and practical 
manner possible for actual work. If your work is satisfac- 
tory, and you ought not to expect a paying position until it 
is, it will be much easier to secure a situation and to fill it 
acceptably than you might otherwise hope to do. Another 
advantage that often arises from such a course is in caus- 
ing the man for whom you work to learn to appreciate the 
advantages of Shorthand and, in this way, open a way for 
your own employment or for that of some other Shorthand 
writer. 

LXV. A Knowledge of Book-Keeping and Business 

Forms is Often Times very Serviceable 

to the Amanuensis. 

There are many places where the services of a Stenog- 
rapher are required, although there is not enough 
work in that line to keep one steadily employed. In cases 
of this kind an amanuensis is usually required to assist in 
keeping the books, filling out orders, checking bills, or 
something of a similar nature. 

Situations of this kind are of late becoming very com- 
mon. Heretofore, those whose business was not extensive 

enough to enable them to give a Stenographer steady 
5 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

employment have not made use of such assistance at all. 
They are, however, beginning to realize that they can gain 
the advantage of such help by employing a reporter who 
can also assist at other things when not engaged in steno- 
graphic work. 

This is opening for Stenographers a new field which will, 
before many years, more than double the demand for Short- 
hand writers. In order to occupy this field, the reporter 
must qualify himself for the other duties which will nec- 
essarily be coupled with it. 

LXVL Do Not Disturb the One Dictating. 

This suggestion, it is plain, will apply more particularly 
to those engaged in amanuensis w x ork. 

In composing letters the dictator is governed by the same 
feeling that controls one while conversing with another. 
He talks as if the party to whom he is writing were 
actually present and he were speaking to him, answering 
some important question or making some proposition. This 
being the case, any interruption will be just as disagreeable 
as though he were in actual conversation with the corres- 
pondent himself. 

It also requires a considerable mental effort to indite 
letters and other matter rapidly and correctly, and any un- 
necessary interruption, either by lack of speed, being ner- 
vous, or by asking questions will tend to confuse the dic- 
tator and make him impatient. In order to give satisfac- 
tion, such things must be scrupulously avoided. 

The amanuensis should also hold himself in readiness to 
begin writing at the very instant his employer begins to 
dictate. The necessity of so doing is caused by the fact 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

that most people who have amanuenses are people who do 
not understand Shorthand and who cannot realize that it 
is possible for the reporter to get all they say unless he 
begins to write at the very moment the dictating com- 
mences. Although it may be perfectly safe to fall fifteen or 
twenty words behind the speaker, still, in most cases, much 
hesitation and nervousness on the part of the dictator may be 
avoided by being ready to take, as soon as uttered, the very 
first word both at the beginning of letters and after each 
pause made by the one dictating. 

LXVIL In Doing Amanuensis Work, if any Important 

Statement is not Distinctly Heard, Call 

for its Repetition. 

This may seem to be in contradiction to the pre- 
ceding suggestion. This, however, is not the case. It 
would hardly be considered any more of an interruption 
to ask the dictator to repeat a statement that had not been 
distinctly heard than it would be for one person to ask 
another to repeat something in ordinary conversation 
which he had not heard or the meaning of which he had 
not understood. 

If it is only a matter of small importance that is not exact- 
ly understood it is better to let it pass until the end is 
reached and then ask for its repetition. Blank space 
should be left, however, to insert anything that may have 
been lost. It would also be well to make some sign on the 
margin to indicate where the omission was made or other- 
wise, in looking for it, the blank may be taken simply for a 
pause or change in the subject and thus be overlooked. 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

LXVIII. The Amanuensis Should Leave a Wide Mar- 
gin so as to Have Room to Make any Insertions 
Which the Dictator may Afterwards 
See Fit to Make. 

It very often occurs, especially in dictating legal and 
other technical matter, that the dictator wishes to go back 
and insert some clause, modify some statement, or give a 
more complete explanation of some difficult point. Unless 
a place is left beside the notes, it will be necessary to make 
a note of the changes at the end of the page. When 
placed at the end it frequently occurs in transcribing that 
they are forgotten until it is too late to write them in their 
proper places. Some amanuenses always place anything of 
this kind at the end and then insert some sign in the notes 
where the insertion is to be made. This is just as good a 
plan only that it requires more time and is apt to be mis- 
understood by other parties who may have occasion to refer 
io the notes at some future time. 

LXIX. Keep a List of the Full Names and Postoffice 
Addresses of all Regular Correspondents, 

By keeping a list of this kind, the full name and address 
need not be written out at the beginning of each Short- 
hand letter. This will avoid the necessity of keeping one's 
employer waiting while the names are being written and 
also save him the trouble of repeating before each letter 
the full name and address of the party to whom he is 
writing. The date, with the full name and address, may be 
filled in afterwards. This may seem like a small matter to 
some but when one has to write a hundred or a hundred 
and fifty short, pointed business letters at a single take, he 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

will find that nearly as much time will be occupied in writ- 
ing out the full heading for each letter as is necessary to 
write the whole body of the letter in Shorthand. Even if 
the Stenographer does not care to keep a list of the princi- 
pal correspondents, he need not always write the name in 
full when taking the letters as he will be able, after a little 
practice, to fill out most of them from memory. All those 
who cannot safely trust their memory to do this should be 
sure to keep a full list of the regular correspondents. 

LXX. Keep Your Own Counsel. 

The Stenographer, like everybody else, must, in a certain 
sense, be a machine. This arises from the fact that in 
many cases confidential matter of the gravest importance 
is often dictated to him, and unless he exerts the utmost 
care, he will be apt, inadvertently it may be, to betray a 
knowledge of his employer's affairs to those who would 
take advantage of it. Again, it frequently occurs in some 
kinds of business that the Stenographer is approached for 
the special purpose of getting him to divulge his employ- 
er's intentions or plans. Attempts may even be made to 
bribe him in order to secure the desired information. 
Aside from the moral phase of the question, the Stenog- 
rapher can, by no means, afford to betray Lis employer's 
secrets to others. Once let it be proven that he has done 
such a thing and his prospects as a reporter will be ruined. 

Morally it is wrong and financially it is a losing invest- 
ment. If you find that you have a tendency to speak of 
things pertaining to your work to those not connected 
with the business, it would be well to form the habit of 
rigidly refusing to speak of your employer's affairs at all. 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

By so doing there is no risk of being surprised into state- 
ments which may afterwards be regretted. 

LXXI. Perform Your Work to Suit Your Employer. 

Your employer pays you for your services and they 
should be rendered in a way agreeable to his wishes. Too 
often, beginners are informed, soon after taking a position, 
that their services are no longer required, simply because 
they have persisted in doing things as they themselves 
thought best when they were well aware that their employ- 
er had been in the habit of doing or having the same things 
done in another way. Although you may be sure that your 
methods are better, if he does not think so, that should end 
the matter. 

In most matters relating to the Shorthand part of the 
business, employers leave all to the management of their 
amanuenses. They do, however, generally have some reg- 
ular forms which they have followed for years, as, for 
example, they have a certain plan of filing away their let- 
ters and do not wish to disarrange their business by chang- 
ing, even though some new plan might be a little better. 
The amanuensis should be perfectly willing to adapt him- 
self to such arrangement. In case no particular forms 
have been made use of and the employer is willing that 
the reporter introduce plans of his own, there can be no 
objection to his doing so. 

LXXIL Take an Interest in Your Employer's Affairs. 

This will apply in general to those engaged in any kind 
of business but certainly applies with special force to the 
amanuensis reporter. As such, the reporter knows more 



TO SHOETHAND STUDENTS. 

about his employer's business tfian any other person in his 
service. He cannot help knowing all about many of his 
employer's intentions and plans. Being thus situated he 
ought to manifest an interest in the business. Knowing so 
much about the business it can scarcely be that he will not 
have many confidences trusted to him. It will also very 
frequently happen that the reporter will learn of things 
greatly to the interest of his employer. When anything of 
this kind occurs he should feel it his duty to give him the 
benefit of such knowledge. The amanuensis may, in this 
way, be able to give timely warning against some course 
that might occasion serious loss, or, at another time, he may 
gain some information by which his employer might greatly 
profit. Anything of this kind will be duly appreciated and 
will be almost sure to result in the promotion of employees 
w\ho take the trouble to so interest themselves. 

LXXIII. Secure a Seat in Front and as Near the 
Speaker as Possible. 

In amanuensis work the reporter generally performs his 
duties in the private office of his employer where there is 
not likely to be anything to disturb or interrupt. Report- 
ing in public, however, is quite different and to avoid the 
danger of missing any part of the procedings the reporter 
should make it a point to secure a suitable location. As a 
rule it will be found that a position immediately in front of 
the speaker will be most suitable. When it is expected that 
reports are to be made, tables are generally furnished for 
the use of reporters and placed in the most convenient 
position. 

Never try to write behind the speaker if any other place 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

at all can be secured. The gallery should be avoided un- 
less it is known to be suitable for the purpose. In making 
reports of conventions, mass meetings, etc., a seat at the 
same table with the secretary is the most suitable place as 
he generally knows the names of all who take part and is 
also able to give other information necessary to a full 
report. 

The court reporter will be more likely to hear every 
word by being seated between the judge and jury. They 
are generally seated near each other and as everything of 
importance is intended for either one or the other or both, 
the reporter will not, by being between them, be apt to miss 
anything that is said. 

LXXIV. Make a Note of Everything that Takes Place 
as Well as What is Said. 

To make a report intelligible to readers, it very often 
becomes necessary to explain certain things which occurred 
during the progress of the meeting of which a report is 
being made. Something may happen to call forth from the 
speaker an expression in no way related to the subject under 
discussion or, it may be, cause him to change entirely the 
course of his remarks. Unless some explanation is made to 
show the reason for this the reporter would do an injustice 
to the speaker. A certain noted lecturer, referring to the 
fine arts, made the following remark while addressing an 
audience in one of our large cities: "What shall I say of 
the composition of Mozart? — Such music is enough to try 
the patience of the gods. The tender pathos, the soul 
stirring strains, the sweet harmony of the great composers 
have done more to make mankind better, than all the cold 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

philosophy of the ages." The ilext morning the news wa& 

spread abroad that Mr. had publicly ridiculed one 

of the great masters, while, at the same time, pretending to 
be a patron of classical music. A word of explanation by 
the reporter would have shown that the disparaging remark 
had nothing whatever to do with the discourse, but was 
caused by a brass band, at that very moment, bursting out 
in a most indescribable discord of harsh sounds in the im- 
mediate neighborhood. 

In court reporting it is quite necessary, often times, to 
insert explanatory notes in order to explain certain state- 
ments made by the witnesses. Thus, if the question were 
asked, "How far were you standing from Mr. Mandel when 
he was struck?," and the answer should be, "About as far as 
from here to the stove," it would be necessary for the reporter 
to insert in parenthesis a statement giving as nearly as pos- 
sible the distance indicated. 

From what has been said any one will easily see the 
bearing of this suggestion. This, with a little care on the 
part of reporters, will enable him to avoid the danger of 
any difficulty arising from lack of all needed explanation. 

LXXV. The First Time a Proper Name Occurs, Write 
it in Longhand. 

This suggestion should be followed whenever practi- 
cable, since the stenographic outline does not indicate the 
spelling and hence, when it comes to transcribing, many 
names, if written only in Shorthand, would be improperly 
spelled. Once writing the name in longhand will, how- 
ever, be sufficient for each report, since this gives the 
spelling, after which it is perfectly safe to write it in Short- 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

hand. When it is impossible to spell out the word, the next 
best thing to do is to carefully vocalize it. This should be 
done especially, when two or more names have the same 
outlines, as in the case of John, Jane and Jean. The only 
way these names could be distinguished in most systems 
of Shorthand is to vocalize them. It is customary, among 
most Shorthand reporters, to not take the trouble to under- 
score proper names which are thus vocalized. 

LXXVI. The Field of Court Reporting and Law 
Amanuensis Work Offers the Most Excellent Op- 
portunities to Those who Contemplate 
Entering the Legal Profession. 

There is no better school for the student of law than that 
of court reporting. His duties, as such, bring him con- 
stantly in contact with eminent judges and the most skilled 
practitioners. In every trial which he reports, he sees 
applied in practice the principles which he has learned 
from books, and has them impressed upon his mind in a 
manner which no amount of reading or study would do. 
His opportunities to become well versed in the law of evi- 
dence, a most important branch of the legal profession, are 
unsurpassed. The forms and methods of procedure are 
also important, and no better chance can be found than 
the reporter has for becoming familiar with them. 

As an amanuensis in a good law office, almost as much 
profit may be derived as is gained by the court reporter. 
The fact that one is able to write Shorthand will also 
prove a very potent factor in securing a preference over 
another who cannot report. Many a young man has by 
the help of Shorthand been able to secure a good position 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

in some large law office, where* otherwise he would have 
had no show at all. 

LXXVII. The Court Reporter Should Understand 
Thoroughly the Nature of the More Ordinary Rul- 
ings, Exceptions, and Objections Made Use of 
in Court Proceedure, so as to be Able to 
Make Proper Record of Them. * 

Next in importance to the evidence itself, is the record- 
ing of objections, which are made from time to time, to the 
introductioD of the same or to any proceeding which either 
party may consider illegal. The grounds upon which such 
objections are based should be noted by the reporter, and 
should they not be stated specifically, the counsel's argu- 
ment in presenting the matter to the court should be taken 
down. "When an objection is decided, the exception, if 
any, taken by the party overruled, should also be recorded. 

Exceptions are also taken to the decisions of the court in 
sustaining or overruling various motions submitted in the 
course of the trial, and a minute should be made of them 
by the reporter. 

In reporting depositions, objections are recorded and 
testimony taken subject thereto, no rulings being made, or 
exceptions taken at the time. 

A law report should be, as nearly as possible, a photo- 
graph of all the proceedings had. Hence it becomes the 
reporter's duty to make a minute of every transaction 
which has a bearing on the case. 

*Note: This, with suggestion 78 were with the consent of the author taken 
from the Reporting Style of Shorthand. 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

LXXVIII. All Exhibits Introduced in Court as Part 

of the Evidence Should be Carefully Marked in 

the Order in Which they are Produced. 

Written documents, as deeds, notes, contracts, mortgages, 
letters, depositions, etc., are frequently produced in court, 
and make a part of the evidence, and for the purpose of 
identification, and convenience in making references, the 
same should be, at the time, marked by the reporter as ex- 
hibit "A," "B," etc., according to the order in which they 
are introduced. The paper, besides the index letter, should 
be marked with the initials of the parties to the suit. This 
prevents ambiguity in the cases where the same document 
has already been marked with a different letter as an exhibit 
in another case. 

As part of evidence, also, knives, rings, keys, photographs, 
or any article whatever which it may be important for the 
court or jury to examine are from time to time introduced. 
These may be marked by firmly attaching a written card to 
them. 

The reporter should be careful to identify, as an exhibit, 
every article or document offered by either party, whether 
or not the same is actually admitted in evidence by the 
court since rejected exhibits are necessary to complete the 
appelant' s bill of exceptions. 

Half the value of a law report is lost by not having it 
properly indexed. The paper used should be accurately 
paged, and each separate book or manuscript numbered in 
the order used. 

Reference is frequently made, and the reporter ordered 
to read sections of testimony taken days, and even weeks, 
previous. This can be done only by means of a running 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

index, which is kept making from hour to hour, just as the 
proceedings take place. This should give the day and date . 
of each session of court, the name of each witness, and the 
page where his testimony and cross-examination begins. 

LXXIX. In Reporting for Newspapers, Full Notes 
Should Always be Taken Though Only a Con- 
densed Report May be Required. 

Nowadays only brief synopses of reports are printed. 
These may also be prepared much more satisfactorily 
when done at leisure and from a full Stenographic report. 
For this reason Shorthand reporters are given the prefer- 
ence on all our metropolitan journals. They do not, as a 
rule, furnish longer reports, but the fact that they have 
more opportunity to deliberate upon the matter enables 
them to use better judgment in deciding just what portions 
should be made use of and what should be rejected. As a 
result they are enabled to furnish much more satisfactory 
reports. They also have full notes in case any contingency 
arises in which a full account is desired. 

The newspaper reporter should also be especially well 
skilled in reading Stenographic notes since reports must 
often be taken with a lead pencil on unruled paper and not 
unfrequently when the writer is standing. It also occurs 
very often that reports must be written out very rapidly in 
order to have them ready for the next issue of the paper. 
No time is allowed on such occasions for puzzling over 
notes. The newspaper reporter if he would make a success 
of his calling must be able to read, without meeting with 
too many difficult points, notes taken rapidly and under all 
circumstances. 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

LXXX. In Making Reports of Public Meetings, Con- 
ventions, Etc., Where Speeches are Made by a 
Number of Persons, be Careful to Make 
Notes of Each Speaker's Name. 

The reporter can best do this by securing a seat near the 
secretary, who, as a rule, is supposed to know the names of 
all who take part. If, in reporting the proceedings of a 
convention of some organized body, it is not possible to 
learn the names of all who participate, the remarks made 
by each speaker whose name is unknown should be placed 
under the head of "A Member." 

The president and secretary are generally designated by 
their official titles and their names not repeated after being 
given at the beginning of the report. It is also a wise plan 
to get a list of the names of all the members of organized 
bodies so as to be able to properly spell each name in 
making out the report for publication. Such a list may 
always be obtained from the secretary. 

LXXXI. In Convention Reporting, Note Carefully all 

Motions and Resolutions Except those in Writing, 

Also Amendments Thereto, and Remarks 

and Decisions Thereupon. 

In making out reports of all kinds of public meetings it 
is often the case that much of their real value depends upon 
matters of this kind. Since most of the regular speeches 
are generally written before being delivered, the greater 
part of the reporter's duties will be to record the remarks 
made upon them and the unwritten motions and resolutions 
and discussions which they call forth. 

In order to succeed in this, several special qualifications 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

are necessary. A keen and cultivated sense of hearing is 
indispensable, as a writer is often required to take down 
rapidly the remarks of different members who are located 
in various parts of a large assembly and who sometimes 
follow one another in quick succession. In convention re- 
porting more judgment, editorial ability, and a previous 
knowledge of the matter in hand are needed. A thorough 
understanding of parliamentary rules and the customs of 
deliberative assemblies are also necessary to satisfactory 
work in .this line. 

The best way to properly fit one's self for work of this 
kind is to serve for awhile as an assistant for some experi- 
enced reporter from whom many things may be learned 
which cannot be acquired in any other way. 

LXXXII. In Speech Reporting Good Sight and Hear- 
ing, as Well as Keen Observation and Good 
Expression are Necessary. 

Under the general head of speech reporting is included 
the various kinds of public addresses, religious debates, 
sermons, etc. In order to make a success in this field some 
thing more than that which may be gained by study is de- 
manded. The natural gifts of good sight and hearing are 
indispensable. Keen observation is another essential and 
with this must be coupled force in expression. 

Good sight is necessary since it very often occurs that 
the eyes will have to endure a long and continuous strain. 
Also, in transcribing, the sight is often tried to its utmost 
extent. This is especially true when pencil notes are to be 
read, since the closest scrutiny must be made of almost 
every word in copying notes of this kind and unless the 
eyes are strong they will soon fail. 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

One must also be able to hear well enough to catch dis- 
tinctly everything uttered by the speaker. Any defect in 
this respect will totally unfit the reporter for work of this 
kind, and it is useless to try to substitute any other qualifi- 
cation in its place. 

The speech reporter must also be continually on the alert 
in order to understand not only what is said but also the 
relation of the different points made by the speaker. Un- 
less he is able to do this, when he comes to make an ab- 
stract of what he has written (as he will often be called 
upon to do, ) he will be apt to leave out many important 
matters and include some things which ought to be omitted. 

LXXXIII. Besides Speed the Speech Reporter Must 
Possess a Fair Knowledge of the English Lan- 
guage, History, and the Current 
Events of the Day, 

Though all of these are important, the latter is especially 
so. Persons of an enthusiastic temperament, who are fully 
awake to the importance of current changes and interested 
in the living political, religious, and socialistic issues of the 
day aie far the best fitted for reporting public speeches, 
for these relate almost constantly to such matters. 

He must know something of history in order to under- 
stand many things which he will be called upon to report 
and where he would be sure to fail without such knowledge. 
He must understand the English language so that he may 
be able to write out his reports correctly. 

With a speed of from one hundred and fifty to one hun- 
dred and seventy-five words per minute and with enough 
general information to understand what he is reporting 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

and to transcribe it in a clear aid concise manner and with 
sufficient judgment to condense when it is required without 
omitting any of the salient points, the reporter will be pre- 
pared to enter a field, the educational advantages of which 
are indeed vast, and in which he will find every opportunity 
to prepare himself for a higher professional life. 

LXXXIV. Every Stenographer Should Prepare Him- 
self to Teach Shorthand. 

The demand which is fast becoming universal for in- 
struction in this art, and the lack of teachers who are pre- 
pared for the work make it possible for almost every re- 
porter who has any ability at all in this direction to devote 
his spare time in a very profitable way if he will fit himself 
for work of this kind. 

The qualifications necessary for success in teaching are 
a good general education, a thorough and accurate knowl- 
edge of the theory, power of expression, and an interest in 
the work. The division of the work is two-fold, the first 
being that of instruction in the theory, the second, that of 
the practical application of the art. It is not indispensable 
that the teacher understand anything more than the theory 
in order to do satisfactory work in teaching the mere prin- 
ciples of the art. To impart a practical knowledge of the 
reporting business, however, it is necessary that the teacher 
should not only understand the theory, but that he should 
also be an adept in, at least, some one branch of the repor- 
torial calling. 

The rapidly increasing demand for Shorthand Amanuen- 
ses, the large number who wish to acquire a knowledge of 

the art for their own private use, and the fact that it has 
6 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

lately been introduced into the public schools in many of 
our large cities, make it possible for a large number to find 
profitable employment by devoting their whole time to this 
branch of the profession. 

Apart from the text used, the teacher will be able to de- 
rive much help in his work from the various suggestions in 
this little volume. A careful study of these will give all 
the special preparation necessary to enable one to do very 
satisfactory work in the line of teaching. 

LXXXV. When You are Prepared for a Situation do 
Not Sit Down and Wait for One to Come to You. 

There are three ways, any one of which the young re- 
porter may adopt, to secure a position. 

In the first place, he may sit down and wait for one to 
seek him out. This is liable to prove rather monotonous. 
We have known reporters to be almost compelled to take 
positions which were offered them. Such cases, however, 
are far from being the rule. 

Another plan is to depend upon some one else to assist 
him. It may be some friend or some bureau in which he 
places his dependence. These, at best, are liable to fail 
him. Friends are rare, indeed, who do not consult their 
own interests first and will only remember others after they 
have secured all they can for themselves. 

A third plan is, for the young reporter to be a man and 
depend upon himself, to give people who aie likely to need 
the services of a Stenographer to understand that he is 
prepared to do this kind of work, that he is willing to do 
the very best he can, and is determined to succeed. Such 
a spirit will win confidence and respect and assure the pos- 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

sessor of an opportunity to test his ability at an early day. 
There are plenty of places waiting for some energetic man 
to push into them and to make a success in them. 

LXXXVI. Always be on Time. 

There is no other one thing that will do more towards com- 
mending a person to the favor of people in general than 
promptness in attending to his duties. This is the case in 
every kind of business but it is especially true of the reporter. 
In most occupations in which a person is doing business for 
himself he may frequently neglect it by tardiness and no one 
be the loser but himself. With the Stenographer, however, 
there is more of other people's interest dependent upon 
him than in almost any other position filled by subordin- 
ates. If he is an amanuensis, and by tardiness delays his 
employer's correspondence even a single mail, it is possible 
he may, by such neglect, cause the loss of more than he can 
earn in months or even years. 

If he is employed in the courts, or is to make a report of 
some speech or convention, he may, by not being on time, 
cause these to be adjourned for the day, involving the loss, 
it may be, of hundreds of dollars worth of time and, what 
is far worse, lose his reputation as a prompt and reliable 
repoiter, which, when once lost, will be hard to win back 
again. The reporter should always be at his post promptly 
and he will find that it will be a paying investment. 

LXXXVII. Always be Prepared for Work. 

Only those who have gone into the court room or to a 
lecture, convention, or public meeting, and found, when 
about to begin work, that they had brought a note book 



ONE HUNDRED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

already filled or made some similar mistake, will appreciate 
the value of this suggestion. These little things are very 
annoying and are likely to bring the reporter into disfavor 
if they occur too frequently. No reporter should ever set 
out to do any kind of reporting whatever without first ex- 
amining his note book and supply of pens and pencils. If a 
steel pen is used a few extra pens should be kept about 
one's person. It is also advisable to keep a few pencils 
ready sharpened so that should anything occur to necessi- 
tate their use the reporter will not be at a loss. The Pen- 
cil Case manufactured by C. P. Blinn of New York, will be 
found a very convenient thing in which to carry a supply 
of pencils. It is advisable also that some sort of a pocket 
inkstand be carried by the reporter as the ink usually found 
in a court room or where public meetings are held is gen- 
erally of the vilest sort and by no means fit to use. 

The careful reporter will form the habit of always look- 
ing after these small yet essential things and will thus not 
be obliged to lose the leport of some important proceedings. 

LXXXVIII. Use a Note book Specially Prepared for 
Shorthand Work. 

The size most convenient for practical work is one about 
five by eight, opening at the end and with a marginal ruling 
about an inch from the left side. In ordinary work this 
space should be left blank, so as to give room for insertions 
and alterations which may be made at any other time. This 
will be found quite convenient for the amanuensis reporter 
who will often be called upon to insert some clause in the 
body of a letter after it has been dictated, or to change the 
wording upon some important point. Some reporters make 



TO SHOKTHAND STUDENTS. 

allowance for such changes by writing only upon every 
other line. This, of course, will serve the purpose, but it 
is an unnecessary waste of paper which, in a short time, 
will amount to considerable. Jk>* 

Note books bound so that they wall iay flatly on the desk 
when open will enable the writer to use both sides of a leaf 
as he goes along, otherwise it would be necessary to use 
only one-half at first, and then turn and fill the other half. 
This latter is not a convenient form for reference and should 
t>e avoided. 

Some prefer note books which open at the side. Those 
opening at the end, however, are more convenient, since it 
is not possible to have a book opening at the side, that will 
lay perfectly level when open and, as a result, it is difficult 
to write near the end of lines on the left page and the be- 
ginning of those on the right. 

A note book with a stiff cover will be found the most con- 
venient. It keeps the paper from being folded or soiled, 
and when occasion requires you to make a report with no 
better place than your knee upon which to place your note 
book, you will still have a level surface upon which to write. 

LXXXIX. Make it a Point to Secure, as Nearly as 
Possible, the Exact Words of the Speaker. 

Beginners are very apt, by trying to get every word be- 
fore it is possible for them to do so, to fall into the habit 
of getting a portion only of each sentence. A few entire 
sentences missed from a speech will not prove nearly as 
fatal to a good report as to have the latter part of a large 
number of sentences wanting. 

Even if only a brief report is desired, it is much better 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

to take full notes as it will be much easier to prepare it 
from such than from meagre notes, more time being given 
when transcribing to decide upon the relative importance 
of the different parts of the report. No effort should be 
made, while taking notes, to correct mere verbal errors 
which any speaker is liable to make. Though it is the re- 
porter's place to correct all evident mistakes thus made it 
can be done better while making the transcript. 

Asa rule, take down everything just as nearly as pos- 
sible as it is said and then, whether a full or only a con- 
densed report is wanted, plenty of material will be at hand 
from which to draw. 

XC. Accustom Yourself to Inconveniences in Re- 
porting. 

If you expect to engage in general reporting and do not 
wish to confine yourself to any particular line of the work, 
you will find it quite necessary to accustom yourself to put 
up with all sorts of inconveniences without complaint. Es- 
pecially in general newspaper work, you will often times be 
called upon to write in unusual places where there is every- 
thing possible to contend with. It may be that you will 
have to write with your note book upon your knee or make 
use of some other person's back. You may find it neces- 
sary to use poor ink on poorer paper, or a hard lead pencil 
on finely calendered paper. It may so happen that you will 
be obliged to write in almost total darkness. In order to 
succeed you must be prepared to meet all such emergen- 
cies. No matter how careful you may be or how hard you 
may endeavor to avoid such things, they will occasionally 
occur and the only way is to keep your wits about you and 



TO SHOBTHAND STUDENTS. 

make the best of them. Those who are able to do so are 
the ones who are bound to succeed. 

XCI. Any part of a Report Which is Indistinctly 

Heard Should be Marked by Some Sign to 

Indicate the Uncertainty. 

A vertical line drawn beside that which is not distinctly 
heard will be sufficient to call the attention to that part af- 
terwards. Where any portion is entirely lost a space should 
be Jeft for it and a similar sign used to indicate that there 
is something to be supplied. 

"When anything of this kind occurs the reporter should, 
before making a transcript of the report, endeavor to obtain 
what was omitted or ascertain the v>xact reading of any 
doubtful passages. If other repoiters have made a report 
of the same proceedings, help may be obtained from them. 
If not, the speaker, a part of whose speech was lost, may be 
consulted. If neither of these courses are open, it may be 
possible to obtain the desired information from some one 
who was in attendance and who is known to be an attentive 
listener. It is always better, of course, to be able to make 
such a report that help of this kind will not be needed. 

XCII. In Transcribing Always Read a full Sentence 
Before Beginning to Write, 

In translating, much help is derived from the context. 
This being the case, it is quite necessary that the full sen- 
tence be read and often times it is necessary to read even 
more than this in order to be sure of the meaning. 

Beginners who have not acquired the capacity to retain 
more than a few words in the mind at once, are very apt to 



ONE HUNDEED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

fall into the habit of translating and then transcribing only 
very short sentences or parts of long sentences at a time. 
In this way they are liable to make many mistakes giving 
translations entirely different from what was intended. 

A few experiences of this kind will be sufficient to im- 
press upon the young reporter's mind the necessity of look- 
ing ahead. He may, however, avoid all difficulty in this 
direction by heeding this suggestion and profiting by the 
experience of those who have made the same mistakes. 

XCIII. If, when Transcribing, Some Portions of Your 

Notes Puzzle You, Leave Spaces and go on and 

when you get the full Sense it will be 

much Easier to Decipher them. 

The best reporters, like many longhand writers, will 
sometimes get puzzled over some inaccurately formed 
character or outline or some sign which may be translated 
in different ways each way making complete sense. When 
a case of this kind occurs it will be better to leave the dif- 
ficult part for the time being, since, after finishing the bal- 
ance of the letter or paper and having its complete sense, 
the chances ore that the difficult passage can be easily read. 
It will be found that the most difficulty is caused by out- 
lines that may be construed in more than one way. Such 
ambiguities would be avoided by always vocalizing outlines 
likely to conflict with others. Although it is hard for the 
beginner, when struggling to keep up with a speaker, to 
always think just what outlines, if not vocalized, are liable 
to cause difficulty, yet a little attention to this point will 
soon enable him to see instantly just where there is danger 



TO SHOETHAND STUDENTS. 

of ambiguity so that some distinguishing vowel may be in- 
serted and alJ cause for doubt removed. 

XCIV, In Making Transcripts, Write Upon One Side 
of the Paper Only. 

Especially in preparing legal documents and in writing 
up reports for publication only one side of the paper should 
be used. Business and professional men also generally pre- 
fer that only one side of the paper be used. 

If a letter contains more than can be written on a single 
sheet, it is best, in order to avoid confusion, to place at the 
head of the second and following pages, if there are more, 
the name of the person to whom the letter is written and 
after this the number of the page. Thus, in transcribing a 
letter to Mr. Evans, the second page should be headed 

Evans, 2, 
and the letter continue immediately below it. 

Sometimes it may occur that the person for whom the 
work is done may wish certain letters written on both sides 
of the paper. Such cases are generally specified but 
unless they are one side only should be used. 

XCV. Make All Your Memoranda in Shorthand. 

As soon as you are able to apply all the principles cor- 
rectly, you can not do better than to make all your mem- 
oranda in Shorthand. This will be of help to you in sev- 
eral ways. It will develop confidence in your work, a thing 
which most beginners are very apt to lack. By making 
note of items upon which something of importance depends, 
and trusting wholly to your notes for them, you will soon 
find yourself feeling just as certain of their meaning as you 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

would were they written in longhand, a feeling which you 
must have if you would make a successful reporter. Tou 
will also have your private memoranda and accounts in such 
a form that, should they be lost or mislaid and happen to fall 
into the hands of others, no advantage ordinarily could be 
taken of them. Another advantage to be derived from 
such a habit is in the constant practice which it gives. All 
are aware of the impression which most people have that 
unless one is continually practicing the art it will soon be 
forgotten. This is true only in part, and even this slight 
objection may be removed by using Shorthand for all pri- 
vate memoranda and note taking. By using it in this way 
the young Stenographer will soon find that not a day will 
pass during which he will not have some occasion to make 
use of it, and by so doing will not allow himself to get 
rusty in the work. 

The greatest advantage, however, of forming the habit 
of using Shorthand in making memoranda is in the fact 
that, since it can be done so easily and rapidly, one is far 
more apt to note down many little things which, were it 
necessary to write them out in longhand, would be neg- 
lected altogether. Since it pays, and pays well, to look 
after the little things, that which will make it possible to 
do so without too much inconvenience is certainly worthy 
of some special attention. 

XCVI, Numbers are Generally Represented by the 
Ordinary Figures or Numerals. 

As a rule it will be found best to write all numbers with 
the ordinary figures. Sometimes it may occur that it will 
be shorter to express the number in Shorthand characters. 



TO SHOBTHAND STUDENTS. 

Round numbers, as hundreds, thousands, or millions, will 
generally be found easier to write in this way. Where a 
number contains different units, as for instance, tens, hun- 
dreds and thousands, it will be easier, and the notes plainer, 
to write the ordinary Roman numerals. Some reporters 
never write a figure at all in their Shorthand notes, while 
others use them exclusively. The majority of reporters, 
however, use both forms. 

XCVI1. Preserve Carefully All Shorthand Notes. 

If you are a court reporter your notes should be indexed 
and filed away by the clerk of the court in which the reports 
are made. If a transcript is made, it is not so essential 
that the original report be preserved. If not, they should in 
all cases be carefully filed away since it is never possible to 
tell what contingencies may arise. A transcript may never 
be called for; again, something may take place years after 
a report has been made which will cause it to be of great 
value. To meet all such contingencies it is quite essential 
that all reports of legal proceedings should be preserved. 

The Amanuensis reporter should adopt some convenient 
form of note book and, for the sake of uniformity, adhere 
to it. These should be carefully indexed in the beginning 
of the book. This index should show name, date, and page 
on which each letter is written. When a book is filled the 
date of the first and last letter contained within it should be 
marked on the back. Some keep a general index book, show- 
ing first the names in alphabetical order of all parties to whom 
letters have been taken at dictation. Opposite the name 
is placed, first the number of the note book and under each 
of these are given the different pages on which letters have 



ONE HUNDBED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

been written to that particular person. It is not difficult 
to so index note books and much time may be saved there- 
by. As the reporter is generally expected to look after 
such things himself he ought to adopt some definite and 
practical plan and then not neglect it, as is too often done. 

With all note books carefully indexed and filed away, it 
will be no trouble, at any time, to refer to all the letters 
written to any party. As business men often have to refer 
to letters written at some previous time they will fully 
appreciate an arrangement by which they may readily refer 
to any particular one they may wish to see. 

In Speech and Convention reporting it is not so import- 
ant that the notes be preserved, yet even with these it often 
times occurs that an old report will be called for and will 
prove to be worth far more than the little time required to 
keep on file all the reports you have ever made. 

XCVIII. Take Some Shorthand Magazine. 

In this way you will be able to see the work of the best 
writers and to get a fair idea of what actual reporting 
looks like. You will also have an opportunity to practice 
upon the work of others. This is a valuable exercise for the 
student, since it not only enables him to read Shorthand 
writing more readily, but, being matter that is correctly 
written, it enables him to correct many mistakes which he 
is in the habit of making and also recalls many points 
which would otherwise be forgotten. Almost every one of 
these magazines contains, besides the Shorthand matter, 
much valuable information for the student in the way of 
editorials, contributed articles, and general Shorthand 



TO SHORTHAND STUDENTS. 

news. Th£y are, as a rule, ably edited and well worth the 
small price asked for them. In keeping alive an interest 
in this really beautiful study, a good Shorthand journal is 
almost, if not quite, equal to a teacher. It is sure to create 
a deeper interest in the study, since it brings all its readers 
into closer sympathy, and enables them to reap the benefits 
of each other's experience. From close observation I have 
found that those who have become readers of a Shorthand 
journal are much less apt to become discouraged and give 
up the study. It is a constant source of encouragement 
and inspiration to better and more thorough work which, 
in the end, is sure to bring success. No Shorthand student 
should hesitate for a moment about availing himself of the 
advantages which will certainly be derived from help of 
this kind. 

XCIX. Become a Member of Some Circulating Li- 
brary or Book Exchange Club. 

The average reporter never dreams of how much there 
really is in the literature of Shorthand and of the many 
interesting things there are connected with its history. If 
you would fully appreciate the progress that has been made 
and which is daily being carried further, you should give 
some attention to the literature of the art. To have a 
proper appreciation of the profession of which you are a 
member, you must understand its history, and know some- 
thing of its struggles and its triumphs. Until you do this 
your views will be narrow and your efforts restricted. 

As it is a slow and expensive task to accumulate a large 
and well selected library on any subject very few are able 



ONE HUNDKED VALUABLE SUGGESTIONS 

to do so. Shorthand writers need not, however, be deprived 
of the privilege of enjoying all that has been written con- 
cerning the art. By taking advantage of the opportunities 
offered by some of the various circulating libraries which 
have been established for the benefit of Shorthand writers, 
any one may have access, for a very small sum, to almost any 
work that has ever been published on the subject of brief 
writing. 

The American Exchange Club of New York City (793 
Broadway) is, no doubt, the best of the kind. The cata- 
logue contains a very large list of rare and valuable books 
and magazines, any of which may be had by members of 
the club. 

C. Avoid the Evil Effects of Such Stimulants as 
Tobacco and Strong Drink, 

Success in Shorthand writing, like success in any other 
of the finer manual arts, depends primarily upon the 
healthy action of the nervous system. It is important, 
then, that the reporter, requiring, as he does, clearness of 
thought with rapidity of execution, should carefully avoid 
anything that tends to throw the nervous system out of its 
natural condition. Since the chief effect of alcohol is 
upon the nerves, caused by its being an irritant and retarding 
digestion, by affecting the cardinal nerves and increasing 
the rapidity of the circulation and by being a cerebral 
poison thus affecting the reason, it should be scrupulously 
avoided by the reporter. Though it may result sometimes 
in arousing one to greater activity and greater efforts for 
the time being, yet this temporary exaltation of the brain 



TO SHOETHAND STUDENTS, 

under its influence is inevitably succeeded by a state of 
relaxation which soon ends in nervous and physical debility. 
The effect of tobacco, though not so great, is in the same 
direction. It is an unhealthy stimulant, the evil effects 
greatly overbalancing the little apparent good that may be 
derived from its use. The- reporter who rigidly abstains 
from the use of both tobacco and alcohol may be assured 
that his chances of success are much greater than the one 
addicted to their use. 



finis. 



•THE- 



STEMM 



D 



'1 

lliu 



inst: 



m 



TE 



ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN. 



Taking all things into consideration, there is no better place in 
the country for young people to secure a thorough knowlege of 
Shorthand and Type-writing, 

Ann Arbor is the great educational center of the West and 
affords many advantages to the student. It is the seat of the Uni- 
versity of Michigan, the magnificent Museum, Library and Art 
Gallery of which, are among the best in the country and are free 
to all. The lecture courses, open to all, give the Shorthand student 
the very best of opportunities for getting up speed. The Society 
in Ann Arbor is good and its influence is exerted in favor of 
earnest study. On the other hand there is little to attract the 
student away from his work. 

The expense of living is only about one-half what it is in a large 
city. 

During the past year the Institute has enrolled more students 
than any other institution of the kind in the state. 

Send for large circular giving full particulars. 

Address, 

Stenographic Institute, 



University of Michigan, 



Ann Arbor, Mich. 



LEARN SHORTHAND AT HOME. 



PERFECTED METHOD OF POSTAL INSTRUCTION. 



C.nd.cted by the University School of Shor hand, 
Iowa City, Iowa, 



Over 700 students now pursuing" this course. The largest institu- 
tion of the kind in the world. 



TRIAL LESSONS FREE. 

Instruction Especially Adapted to the Young. 

FULL COURSE, FIFTY LESSONS, $20. 



Tuition not all required in advance. The reporting style of the American 
Pitman is the system taught. 

Some of the features which recommend our course are : 

1. A system of writing can he taught hy mail far more successfully than any 
other art or science. 

2. The student runs no risk— is not obliged to leave home or give up his bus- 
iness. 

3.' Lessons are received at whatever intervals are most convenient, 

4. Corrected exercises are invariably sent back by return mail. 

5. Lessons are carried in the pocket and learned at leisure moments. 

6. Traveling does not interfere in the least with this method of teaching. 

7. Shorthand is best learned by devoting to it only a fraction of one's time 
daily, a plan suited to the convenience of busy people, who have most occasion 
to use a brief system of writing. 

8. Students are required to write and read the exercises with gradually 
increased speed. This is the only certain way of gaining proficiency in a short 
space of time. 

9. Not only is the art thoroughly taught, but full directions are given as to its 
use in the business of Amanuensis, Court, and Legislative reporting, etc. 

10. The intelligent student can as certainly learn by this means as by attend- 
ing a college, and with but a fraction of the expense. 

11. By the use of a series of Circulators, students communicate with each 
other, become acquainted, and a friendly competition is established. 

12. Lessons may be received daily, although the student lives thousands of 
miles distant. 

13. The use of the Type-writer, the usual accompaniment of Shorthand is also 
taught by mail. 

14. Local Classes are formed, and meet for practice every week under the 
direction of a competent drill master. 

iicLdress, 

STENOGRAPHIC INSTITUTE, Ann Arbor, Mich., 

Or, 

SCHOOL OF SHORTHAND, Iowa City, Iowa. 



SHORTHANDERS, 



Your name and address will bring you a sample copy of the 

"COSMOPOLITAN SHORTHAND!" 



THE BEST SHORTHAND JOURNAL IN AMERICA. 



Contains in every issue specimens of Standard and New Sys- 
tems; the latest Shorthand News from all parts of the world; 
opinions on professional topics by representative stenographers; 
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appliances; Portraits and sketches of leading stenographers; 20 
pages filled with 

CHOICE AND VALUABLE MATTEK. 



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C. K. BROOKS, Advertising Manager, Toronto, Can. 



THE PHRASE. 



The only Phrase-book published which 
is useful in different systems. 



PRICE BY MAIL, 55 CENTS. 

Do Not Remit in Stamps. 



ADDRESS THE PUBLISHER, 

IE 1 . Or. MOBRIS, 

Ea.st3na.z^.ptoa^., - 2w£eussa.cla. , u.setts. 



An ably written work on the principles which should govern 
phrase writing in any system. [Shorthand News. 

We believe this book will do good. {Journal of Education, 
Boston. 

Many a phonographer might gain instruction from its perusal. 
[Chicago Tribune. 

Entirely different from anything heretofore issued for the 
shorthand writer. To the student of any of the Pitmanic systems 
it offers a reliable good beginning of the science of legitimate 
phrasing. [Phonographic World. 

A broad, scholarly, accurate exposition of the art of phrase- 
writing as applied to any system. [Shorthand Times. 

This convenient little exposition, as the author truly designates 
it, of the principles and practices of " phrasing," has met with such 
universal favor that it is hardly needful for us to add anything to 
the opinions already published by our contemporaries. We take 
pleasure, however, in reccommending the book to the writer of any 
system, who desires a thorough and practical exponent of the prin- 
ciples of phrase-writing, and also in recommending the author as 
an efli cient and pains-taking teacher. [Stenography. 



The philosophy of "The Phrase" has never been more logically 
presented perhaps than in the monograph published under this 
title by the author, F. G. Morris of^Easthampton. [Springfield 
Republican. 

The author has no special theory to promulgate, and his broad 
view and candid estimate of the field of shorthand attainment 
and his generous forecast of the future, are alike commendable 
and just. [Council Bluffs Daily Herald. 

We commend it strongly to, the attention of all. [American 
Journal of Education. 

The author's long experience and careful study of the subject 
(for he is himself an expert phrase-writer) entitle his work to the 
thoughtful attention of phonographers, users of all systems. 
[Manufacturer's Gazette, Boston. 

ISTo phonographer, whatever system he may use, should fail to 
avail himself of the very material aids which are set forth between 
its covers. [Boston Journal of Commerce. 

Mr. Morris is an expert in the art, and presents his conclusions, 
not in the form of a wilderness of bewildering examples, but of 
principles which cover, substantially, all good phrase-writing. 
[N. T. Independent 

One of the choicest, tersest literary Morceaux which could be 
given to the shorthand world. [Mrs. M. E. Butler, a teacher of 
Munson's system in Chicago. 

After a careful examination, I must say I am very much 
pleased with it indeed. [S. A. Moran, Prin. Sten. Inst., University 
of Mich. (Ben. Pitman's system). 

The ideas in the "Phrase" are excellent, [W. H. Gove, Esq., 
Salem, Mass. (Isaac Pitman's system). 

Such a monograph must make all shorthand writers proud of 
their profession. [ W. K. Armisteacl, Reporter, Boston, Mass. (Gra- 
ham's system). 

We believe the "The Phrase" may be advantageously used 
with any system of shorthand. [Journal of Microscopy, &c, Lon- 
don and Bath, Eng. 

You let your rules develop out of principles, which, indeed, is 
the only satisfactory mode of treating any inquiry of a scientific 
nature. [Mr. G. Alexander, Stewarton, Ayrshire, Scot., to the 
author. 



THE AMERICAN 

SHORTHAND WRITER. 

ESTABLISHED IN 1880. 

The leading shorthand magazine of America. The organ of no 
system; the representative of all. Each number contains reporting 
notes by the best writers of the leading systems; original and se- 
lected articles on shorthand and type-writing; •communications 
from students and professionals and the freshest news about 
shorthand and shorthand writers. 

The Writer is typographically beautiful, being printed on 
heavy, toned paper; it contains twenty large pages, including 
cover, and a year's subscription to it means twelve whole numbers. 

No stenographer who wants to keep up with the times can 
afford to be without it. 

Subscription, One Dollar a year. Single numbers, Ten Cents. 

ROWELL & HICKCOX, 

PTTBLISHEBS, 

BOSTON, - MASS. 



-THE- 



SHORTHAND TIMES 

A MONTHLY, 

ALL IN BENN PITMAN PHONOGRAPHY. 



Will be published the first of every month, and may be ordered 
through any newsdealer. 



In order to make the magazine more available for students the 
publishers will furnish a transcript of any portion of the reading 
matter, upon application by letter. Stamps must be enclosed to pay 
return postage. The phonography of the Times will conform to the 
new outlines given in the revised manual by Benn Pitman and Jer- 
ome B. Howard. Each Number contains twenty pages of Short- 
hand. Many pages of actual reporting work will be given during 
the year. The Times has now entered upon the second year of 
its publication, and its articles of an educational and literary char- 
acter will make it valuable to any stenographer. 



SUBSCRIPTION: 

One Year, $2.00. Single Number, 20c. 

ALLEN & CO., 

361 WELLS ST., - - CHICAGO, ILL. 



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THE SHOKTHAM) WRITES. 

A live monthly journal of Shorthand news, and criticism. Advo- 
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and professional use. 

LINDSLEY'S TAKIGRAFY. 



20 cents per number, 
$2.00 per year. 



D. KIMBALL Publisher, 



83 Madison Street, Chicago. 



NOTES FROM MY REPORTING BOOKS 



(BENN PITMAN SYSTEM.) 

Containing 62 pages of autograph Shorthand notes taken in 
cases in the Chicago courts. 50 pages at an average of 180 words a 
minute, and 12 pages at about 150 w r ords a minute. 

Shorthand writers will find in these actual reporting notes 
many valuable suggestions of " how to do it," which are not found 
in text-books. PRICE 50 CENTS. 

Por Sale 1037- 

CHAS. L DRIESSLEIN, 



Room 37 Ashland Block, Chicago, III. 



LAW REPORTER. 



STENOGRAPHY. 

A MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF ALL SYSTEMS. 

Published Monthly at 186 Washington St, - Boston, Mass. 

BY 

THE BOSTON SHORTHAND BUREAU. 

PROF. CHAELES C. BEALE, Editor. 

The publishers of this Magazine respectfully call the attention of Phonogra- 
phers generally to the manner in which it is conducted, and the special induce- 
ments which we offer. 

The aim of the proprietors will be to make it thoroughly unsectarian. believing 
that each one has a right to his own opinion in regard to the merits of his system, 
and taking care to say nothing editorially or to allow anything to be said to dis- 
parage the results of any system. 

We devote separate departments to the beginner, the advanced student, aman- 
uensis and the reporter slighting no one, and endeavoring to make it interesting 
and useful to all. 

A column devoted to questions and answers in regard to any matters of inter- 
est to shorthanders in general, and containing hints that will be beneficial to any 
stenographer, will receive a good share of our attention. 

A special feature of this magazine, and one adopted by us alone, is a FREE 
want and exchange column. If any subscriber has anything in the shorthand line 
which he desires to exchange, or wishes to procure anything he needs, or to buy 
or sell any shorthand articles, he will have the liberty of inserting a notice to that 
effect free of charge. 

We also offer valuable prizes each month to the best transcription of each 
specimen of shorthand given in our pages. Also give word-hints, puzzles, etc., 
for the solution of which valuable and useful prizes are given. 

And further, we offer, as a special inducement, the choice of a long list of val- 
uable premiums, any one of which is worth nearly the price charged for the mag- 
azine; and when we state that our price is only $1.00 per year (12 numbers) and 
that each number consists of 20 pages, giving specimens of shorthand in various 
systems, and that it is printed and bound in the best style, and in a far superior 
manner to magazines charging twice or three times as much with none of the in- 
ducements we offer, we feel confident that we shall obtain the support and co-op- 
eration of all who are interested in the practice or study of shorthand. 

Sample copies for two-cent stamp. 

ULIST OF IPIE^IEIMIIUIIVCS- 

For S1.00. the regular subscription price, we will send the magazine one year, 
and choice of the following valuable premiums : Spurgeon's Plain Talk; Driesslein's 
Reporting Notes; Scott-Browne's Abbreviations, Business Letters ; First Reader, 
or Type- Writing Instructor; Allen's Universal Phonography; Morris' Phrase; 
Isaac Pitman's Manual or Reporter's Companion; Graham's Synopsis; Patent 
Reporting Cover, Pencil Case; % dozen Note-books, 1 dozen sheets of Carbon Pap- 
er, or anything in the shorthand, procurable, value- not to exceed 50 cents. 

For $1.25, we will send the magazine one year, and choice of Benn Pitman's 
Manuel; Scott-Browne's Text-Book, Part 1: Isaac Pitman s Dictionary; Type- 
writer or Caligraph Ribbon; Pocket Inkstand, or anything procurable in the 
shorthand line, value not to exceed $1 00. 

For $2.00, one year's subscription, and any shorthand books or supplies to the 
value of 81.50. 

For $2.25, one year's subscription, with either Graham's Hand Book, or Second 
Reader, or Scott-Browne's Text-Book No. 2, or any shorthand supplies worth $2. 

Clubbed with other magazines as follows : Browne's Monthly, $2 25; Student's 
Journal, $2 25, Phonetic Journal, (weekly) $2 00; Shorthand Times, $2 00; Short- 
hand News, $2.25; Haven's Modern Reporter, $2.25; Phonographic World, $125; 
Cosmopolitan Shorthander, $1.25; American Shorthand Writer, $1.25; Exponent, 
$2.25: Munson's Phonographic News, $2.25: Lindsley's Guide, $100; Notes and 
Queries, $1.50, or with any magazine or publication, for 50 cents more than the 
subscription price to such magazine. 

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SCOTT-BROWNE'S 

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mailed free to any address upon application. 

Browne's Phonographic Monthly and Reporter's Journal. 

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23 CLINTON PLACE, - - - NEW YORK, N. Y. 



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THE ENLIGHTEMR," 



Every stenographer and amanuensis should subscribe for THE 
ENLIGHTEKER. It is a newsy, practical shorthand magazine. 
It aims to develop active and capable writers, and is the official 
organ of a society of practical stenographers, called the "Sphinx." 

Stenographers are not united as they should be, being too much 
like "Killkenny Cats " in their rivalry about the various systems. 



THE BNLIGHTBNBR. 

As a magazine, is the friend of all good systems, the defender of 
every honest shorthand effort, and the foe of all quacks and frauds. 

Oosmopolitan ! Fraternal ! ! Fearless ! ! ! 

Subscription $1.00 per year, in advance; 50 cents, six months, in 
advance. 

Advertising, $3.00 per inch, one year. 

Remit by draft, postomce order, or postal note. 

ISAAC CUVELLIER, 

La Crosse, Wis., Publisher. 

®W Send 10 two-cent stamps, mention this book, and get the 
Magazine four months. 



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SONOGRAPHIC WORLD " 



FOR 1886, 



Live ! Wide-Awake ! Newsy ! Readable ! 

DON'T FAIL TO SEND FOE A SAMPLE COPY. 



THE LARGEST SHORTHAND JOURNAL IN EXISTENCE ! 

Containing each month twenty pages; size of page, 8 by \VA inches. It contains 
each month more fresh reading matter, of interest to the profession, than any 
three of the other journals. Its columns are divided into classes of news, which 
remain the same throughout the year, rendering it easy each month to turn to any 
department desired. 

" We notice some of the principal heads of departments appearing in each 
issue : For Sale, Exchange, and Wanted; Publisher's Department; Correspond- 
ence; Editorial; Contributed Articles; Personal; General Shorthand; Reporting 
Exercises; Poetical; Humorous; Queries and Answers; Locations and Changes; 
Stenographic Laws; Machine Shorthand; Facsimiles in all Systems. 

tW° Its price is only $1.00 per year (issue of twelve numbers), or one-half the 
price of the majority of the other shorthand publications. 

JggF 3 Its articles are selected with the greatest care, and are each month fresh 
and original— not a mass of clippings from other journals. 

i^iP^ It is always issued strictly on time, and is never missed by the sub- 
scriber when due. 

J^lf- It has a corps of " special correspondents " of its own, in every large 
city of the Union and in many of the foreign cities, who are constantly contrib- 
uting matters of interest to the profession. 

KW~ It is unprejudiced and unbiased, and stands upon a fair, open and honor- 
able footing with ali written systems. Its editor is an old writer of shorthand, 
familiar with all current systems, thoroughly alive to the issues of the day, and 
to the demands of his subscribers and patrons. 

^IT 3 It is supported by writers of all systems alike, who are desirous of ob- 
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importance to the inquirer, the student and the professional writer. 

All communications to be addressed to 

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The Guide to Shorthand Syste 

Published bi-monthly at 817 N. 45th St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
8 pp. quarto. 50 cts. 

This paper is designed to be to the would-be Student of Shorthand a " Guide." 
In the multiplicity of systems this is becoming every day more and more necessary. 

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THE STUDENT'S JOURNAL. 

Published monthly by Geo. Harris, Gloucester, England. 4 pp. 
quarto, engraved in the Takigrarlc characters. 

PER ANNUM, - - - 75 CENTS. 



THE SHOBTHAM) WEITEE. 

20 pp. Magazine form. Published by D. Kimball, 83 Madison 
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The Ideal Pocket, 

For Pens and Pencils of ail sizes. Holds from 1 to G se- 
curely at the same time. 



It fastens itself, and is easily changed from 
one vest pocket to another. 



PRICE OF POCKET, NICKEL-PLATED, 15 CENTS. 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



027 275 501 



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